Pakistan's young spin phenomenon Abrar Ahmed caught England unawares with a sensational seven-wicket hall despite his inexperience in the first session of play on Day 1 of the second Test in Multan on Friday (December 9). The tourists who have their nose ahead 1-0 in the ongoing three-match Test series, won the toss and chose to bat first. They were soon knocked down to 180/5 in 33 overs by Lunch with the novice Ahmed bamboozling England with all five wickets.
It is a fairytale debut for the 24-year-old leg-spinner as he pervaded England's resolute opening partnership by cleaning Zak Crawley (19) with a delivery that spun sharply and crashed through the batter's defense all ends up.
Ben Duckett (63) and Ollie Pope (60) then accumulated 79 runs for the second wicket. The debutant once again got in on the act and prised out a much-needed breakthrough, weaving a trap around well-settled Duckett with an LBW.
Former England skipper Joe Root (8) also was soon sent packing as an lbw became the reason for his undoing to the led-spinner who burgeoned to dismiss Pope and Harry (9) to accomplish a five-fer on his maiden appearance in the Test kit for Pakistan.
He adds two more wickets to his tally and finishes with exceptional figures of seven wickets, giving away 114 runs in 22 overs.
All about Abrar Ahmed
Abrar Ahmed is the youngest among eight siblings - five brothers and three sisters, who was born in Karachi in October 1998. One of his brothers, Shahzad Khan, was a pacer who played for the National Bank. It is fair to say he had a cricket team at home to practice with.
The precocious leggie has featured in 14 first-class matchesm, 12 List A games, and 17 T20s so far. He has bagged 76 wickets in his first class career at an average of 25.56 with seven five wicket-hauls. In List A cricket, the bowler has scalped 17 wickets at an average of 25.70, while in the shortest format T20, he has claimed 19 wickes at a strike rate of 19.8.
His first-class debut came to pass in November 2020, for Sindh against the Southern PNJ in 2020-21 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He debuted in his List A outfit in November 2021 against Sri Lanka A.
Abrar Ahmed experienced a dazzzling 2022-23 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he was at the forefront of wickettaking leaders, asserting his dominance with 43 wickets for Sindh in seven matches at a striking average of 21.95.
The number of fifers he completed were as many as five which includes a 10-wicket match haul, laying the foundation for a Test call-up in the international setup for the ongoing home series against England. He is off to a brilliant start, he could not have asked for more after proving his mettle in the international arena and bagging a 7-wicket haul, stuff that dreams are made of.
Abrar's record cracking debut
Preceding Abrar Ahmed who finished with a seven wicket haul against England in Multan are the two Pakistan bowlers, Mohammad Nazir andand Mohammad Zahid, to beat him to the ounch who chalked up an identical feat with a seven wicket haul. Nazir took seven for 99 on his debut against New Zealand in 1969, while Zahid tidied up those figures with seven for 66 against the Kiwis too in 1966.
The elongated five wicket haul in the first session for Abrar makes him the first bowler to accomplish a five-wicket haul in the opening session on Test debut since Alf Valentine against England in 1950 in Manchester. He also became the 13th Pakistani to take a five-wicket haul on Test debut. Abrar also became the only second bowler on debut to take a five-wicket haul before lunch on the Day 1 of a Test match.
