Twitter Reactions: Imam-ul-Haq's maiden Test century propels Pakistan towards a huge 1st innings total

Pakistan ended Day 1 on 245/1 after 90 overs.

By Karthik Nair

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Imam ul Haq
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Imam ul Haq (Photo source: Twitter)

The highly-anticipated bilateral series finally kicked off as Pakistan hosted Australia in the first Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on March 4. The Aussies are playing in the country for the very first time after the 1998/99 season and that is what makes this occasion even more special.

Finally, it was time for action as the home captain Babar Azam called it right at the toss and elected to bat first. It seemed to be a typical batting surface as Pakistan made the most of their opportunities by making the Australian bowlers toil hard for wickets. Amid the smooth conduct of the game on Day 1, the country received a huge setback miles away from the cricket field as a bomb blast took place in Peshawar.

It was indeed a forgettable Day 1 for Australia as not only did the toss not go their way but, their lethal bowling lineup was taken to the cleaners by Pakistani batters every time they erred in line and length. Openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique made batting look easy as they added 105 runs for the opening stand before the latter was dismissed for 44. Unfortunately, that was the only breakthrough that the visitors succeeded in getting the entire day.

Imam along with Pakistan’s senior Test specialist Azhar Ali then ensured that there were no further hiccups and the duo batted smartly to register an unbeaten 137-run stand for the second wicket stand. The opening batter then bought up an impactful century which was also his first in this format. He remained unbeaten on 132 off 271 deliveries that included 15 fours and two sixes. It was indeed a morale-booster for Imam who is making a comeback to the national side.

Azhar Ali on the other hand played a great supporting role and remained not out on 64 runs off 165 balls as Pakistan posted 245/1 at stumps. The duo would now be expected to continue in a similar manner on Day 2 from where they have left off while Australia will be gunning for quick wickets.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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