New Delhi: Kamran Ghulam slammed his maiden century on his Test debut for Pakistan in the ongoing 2nd Test against England at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan. All eyes were on 29-year-old Ghulam in the Test match after he was named replacement for star batter Babar Azam, who was dropped from the game following Pakistan’s crushing defeat by an innings and 47 runs in the series opener at the same venue.
Ghulam shone on his Test debut for Pakistan as he went on to notch up a brilliant ton under pressure. The right-hander completed his ton off 192 balls with a boundary against Joe Root on the final delivery of the 74th over of England’s first innings. The right-hander, who was rewarded with his Test debut after piling on runs consistently in the domestic circuit, showcased he belongs at the highest level with his stellar ton.
Ghulam walked out to bat at no.4 when Pakistan were reeling at 19/2 having lost opener Abdullah Shafique and captain Shan Masood in quick succession. He combined with opener Saim Ayub to steady the ship for the hosts as the duo added a valuable stand of 149 runs for the third wicket. Ayub scored a patient 77 before getting dismissed by Matthew Pots in the 56th over.
Ghulam continued to hold one end strongly after Ayub’s dismissal and went on to complete his maiden Test century off 192 balls. His superb ton was laced with 9 fours and a six as the 29-year-old right-hander received a standing ovation from the crowd and his teammates after breaching the three-figure mark for the hosts.
At the time of writing, Pakistan were 243/4 after 84 overs with Ghulam and Mohammad Rizwan sharing an unbeaten stand of 65 runs for the 5th wicket. Pakistan will be eyeing another big total in the first innings having posted a first-innings total of over 500 runs in the first Test which was played on the same pitch in Multan.
Special moment for Kamran Ghulam! 🌟
He brings up a stellar 💯 on debut with his family watching 🙌#PAKvENG | #TestAtHome pic.twitter.com/Y1hrau9D7w
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 15, 2024
Why was Babar Azam dropped?
Former Pakistan captain Babar was dropped from the final two Test matches against England after failing to notch up a big knock in the series opener in Multan. Babar was enduring a lean patch in Test cricket having not scored a half-century in his last 18 innings in the longest format. The Pakistan star’s last Test ton came in December 2022.
Ghulam was promoted to replace Babar in the 2nd Test after performing consistently in the Pakistan domestic circuit. The 29-year-old all-rounder has 4377 runs to his name in 59 first-class matches at an average of over 49, including 16 centuries and 20 fifties. Ghulam holds the record for scoring the most runs in a single edition of Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy having amassed 1,249 runs at an average of 62.45 for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 2020-21 season.
Pakistan all-rounder Kamran Ghulam, who replaced Babar Azam in the 1st Test against England, notched up his maiden ton in Multan. Ghulam played a terrific knock under pressure on his Test debut for Pakistan. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
