Rawalpindi, Dec 15: Pakistan opener Abid Ali became the first batsman to score hundreds on both Test and ODI debuts on Sunday (December 15) and claimed a unique record to his name.
Playing against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Rawalpindi, the 32-year-old cricketer hit Lanka pacer, Vishwa Fernando, for a boundary and then drove him through cover for two to complete his hundred.
After getting to his maiden Test ton, Ali raised his hands in jubilation before kneeling on the ground to offer a prayer of gratitude. His hundred came in 267 minutes, laced with 11 boundaries, and was the highlight of a Test badly affected by bad weather.
This is Pakistan's first home match in the long form of the game since the 2009 attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team. The rain-affected game ended in a tame draw against the same opponents.
Pakistan finished at 252-2, with stylish Babar Azam notching up his third Test century with a boundary against spinner Dilruwan Perera. Azam ended with 102 not out, which came in 151 minutes of punishing batting spiced by 14 crisp boundaries.
Hundred on Test debut for Pakistan!
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 15, 2019
Khalid Ibadulla 166
Javed Miandad 163
Saleem Malik 100*
Mohammad Wasim 109*
Ali Naqvi 115
Azhar Mahmood 128*
Younis Khan 107
Taufeeq Umar 104
Yasir Hameed 170
Yasir Hameed 105
Fawad Alam 168
Umar Akmal 129
ABID ALI 1⃣0⃣6⃣*#PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/Bstoa2k7O5
The day, however, belonged to Abid, one of 15 batsmen to score a hundred on their one-day international debut -- against Australia in Dubai in March his year -- since the inception of limited over cricket in January 1971.
None of the others also scored a century on their debut in Test cricket, which started in 1876. Abid is the 11th Pakistani batsmen to score a century on Test debut. Abid's feat spiced up the historic Test, the first in Pakistan since the 2009 attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus left international cricket suspended in the country.