Kamran Ghulam
It was in the midst of overwhelming challenges that the Pakistan cricket team was suffering through when the very first day of the second Test against England in Multan brought a ray of hope in the form of Kamran Ghulam, who played his first Test, scoring an outstanding century with 118 runs. For a wobbly Pakistani side that has failed to get anything right in the last few months, surely Kamran’s performances would have been a much-needed morale booster.
Glibly responding to each of them through unorthodox shots, Ghulam’s innings were marked by resilience and determination, especially when Pakistan got into a precarious position at 19 for two in the tenth over. Early breakthroughs from England’s Jack Leach put Pakistan back on the back foot, reminding fans of the team’s previous collapse in the first Test in which they suffered an innings defeat despite scoring as high as 556 in their first innings. When Ghulam struck his century, the team, at least lifted their sagging spirits and at the end of the day, managed to reach a respectable total of 259/5.
The debutant innings was marked by well-timed boundaries and an acute sense for the game. With a bold swing off Joe Root, Ghulam scored his century, making history since he became the second-oldest Pakistani player to make a hundred on debut at the age of 29. One would see that he has a lot of experience in domestic cricket, which makes him tackle tough early overs with so much composure under pressure especially in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Between domestic cricket and international cricket, Ghulam had surpassed 4,500 runs, pointing to his ability being late for recognition on the big stage.
Pakistan’s innings gained impetus through Saim Ayub’s fine knock of 77, while Mohammad Rizwan’s gritty unbeaten 37 helped further stabilize it. This trio needs to deliver on all fronts as the side looks for a total of over 300, considering that might be pretty competitive with the nature of the pitch and the conditions they need to surmount. The pitch has been drenched with water and blasted dry with industrial fans before this game, and it seems to be responding by providing some assistance to the spinners, something Pakistan’s bowling lineup rich in spinners is looking to exploit any turn.
However, the challenge remains for Pakistan. A collective effort from the seam attack of England featuring Ben Stokes, Jack Leach, and Brydon Carse did very well and exploited reverse swing in the final session of play and unsettled the Pakistani batsman. Stokes had played his way into this match after a hamstring injury had obliged him to miss the initial Test against New Zealand. Pakistan needs to draw positives from this match and put their bowling assets to good use as the need arises to regain lost ground from the previous series.
But there were signs of Ghulam fighting back. He struck six off Leach to get going and then stabilized himself at the crease as he reached his half-century off 104 balls. Ayub too had a good outing-a bit steady, but after failing in the Top-order in many of the previous matches of the series.
England’s bowlers maintained a stern pressure on Pakistan’s batting line-up. Carse’s short ball strategy and Stokes’s aggressive seam bowling kept Pakistan’s middle order on the back foot, and breakthroughs came at crucial times. The dismissal of Saud Shakeel by Carse had been critical as England smelt a chance to capitalize on Pakistan’s shaky start.
Although it was a very tough task for Pakistan once the match reached its end, Ghulam was the sole bright light in the Pakistani camp. When Ghulam was dismissed, bowled by Shoaib Bashir, the pressure had shifted back to the remaining batsmen, and especially to Rizwan, who was now under the onus of rescuing his innings to a fighting total.
The development into the game would likely be a case of Pakistan building on Ghulam’s achievement by playing it solid with its strengths based on ball-sticking action. The team believes that it’s a game where things would finally turn around in terms of showing perseverance and the will to not give up on the team under pressure. Of course, Ghulam’s first century speaks volumes beyond him with the bat. What is more important for everyone is the return of the lost Pakistani spirit as they build towards regaining their pride in international cricket.
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