Playing on Day 1 of Pakistan’s second Test match vs England on Friday, debutant Abrar Ahmed claimed 7 wickets for 114 runs in 22 overs.
Pakistan vs England, 2nd Test: 24-year-old mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed picked up 7 wickets on his Test debut, spinning a web around the England batter who managed to post 281 in 51.4 overs on Day 1 in Multan.
- Abrar Ahmed registered figures of 7 for 114 on his Test debut
- Abrar became the 3rd Pakistan bowler to pick up 7 wickets in an innings on his Test debut
- England were all-out for 281 in 51.4 overs in the first innings in Multan
24-year-old Abrar Ahmed could not have asked for a better Test debut as the mystery spinner bamboozled England on the opening day of the second Test of a 3-match series, picking up 7 wickets in his first-ever innings in Test cricket. On a day when Pakistan were hoping for some inspiration after having been ‘Bazballed’ in the series opener in Rawalpindi, Abrar made best use of the spin-friendly conditions to trouble the England batters.
Sporting Harry Potter spectacles, Abrar was on fire, wielding magic in Multan as he picked up all 5 wickets England wickets to fall in Multan in the first innings.
Abrar picked up 2 more wickets in the second innings, which included a beauty to castle England captain Ben Stokes, and was hoping for history to become the first bowler ever to pick up 10 wickets in the first innings on Test debut. There was a beauty to former captain and leading batter Joe Root, who was among the many who were not able to pick Abrar’s variations.
However, fellow spinner, a leggie in Zahid Mahmood picked up the remaining 3 wickets as England were bowled out for 281 in 51.4 overs in the first innings.
It was a remarkable feat as Abrar Ahmed, who idolises West Indies’ Sunil Narine, equaled the Pakistan record for the most wickets in the first innings on Test debut. Abrar registered figures of 7 for 114 as he helped Pakistan contain the England batters, who tried to go big even on a difficult pitch on Day 1.
England were looking good to post another mammoth total as they had raced to 117 for 1 but Abrar’s heroics triggered the downfall of England batters.
Abrar joined Mohammad Zahid and Mohammad Nazir who had picked up 7 wickets on their Test debut.
Ben Duckett (63) and Ollie Pope (60) both scored rapid half centuries before falling to Ahmed in the first session as the spinner became only the second bowler in test history to pick up five wickets before lunch in his debut Test.
MOST WICKETS FOR PAKISTAN ON TEST DEBUT
Mohammad Zahid in Rawalpindi against New Zealand – 7 for 66
Mohammad Nazir in Karachi against New Zealand in 1969 – 7 for 99
Abrar in Multan against England – 2022 – 7 for 114
Bilal Asif in Dubai – 2018 – 6 for 36
Arif Butt in Melbourne against Australia in 1964 – 6 for 89
