On his debut, Pakistan cricket team batter Kamran Ghulam astonished everyone by scoring a tough century on Day 1 of the second Test against England on Tuesday. Ghulam seemed at ease against England’s bowlers, hitting 118 off 224 deliveries, including 11 fours and one six. The 29-year-old replaced Babar Azam in the starting lineup after the former Pakistan captain was dropped following a poor performance. Following the ton, Babar turned to social media to congratulate Ghulam on his accomplishment, writing on his Instagram story, “Well done Kamran”.
On Tuesday, Kamran Ghulam scored a brilliant century on debut to lead Pakistan to 259-5 on the first day of the second Test against England in Multan. The 29-year-old replaced out-of-form Babar Azam at number four and scored 118 against England’s aggressive bowling and fielding.
Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha were unbeaten after an equal day’s play, with 37 and five, respectively. After smashing a national record of 1,249 runs in the 2020 domestic season, Ghulam’s frustrating long quest for a spot in the Pakistan team ended on the same day.
Ghulam led a comeback after the hosts, who won the toss, were 19-2 down with England spinner Jack Leach striking twice in the first hour.
Ghulam added 149 for the defiant third wicket with Saim Ayub, who scored a career-best 77, and 65 for the fifth wicket with Rizwan. He hit three figures with a boundary off spinner Joe Root in 280 minutes, becoming Pakistan’s 12th batter to make a century in his debut Test.
Ghulam was dismissed by spinner Shoaib Bashir just half an hour before stumps, capping a strong 323-minute innings that included 11 fours and one six. Ghulam described his century as a prize for his wait. “It is delightful to score a hundred and that too as a replacement for Babar Azam, who has been a great player for Pakistan,” added Ghulam, who received a significant let-off at 79 when Ben Duckett failed.