Kamran Ghulam leads Pakistan rally against fast-starting England with debut ton
Pakistan closed on 259 for five after the first day of the second Test.
England met resistance from an unexpected source on an unpredictable used pitch in Multan, with Huddersfield League graduate Kamran Ghulam making a debut century for Pakistan on day one of the second Test.
Just four months on from a low-key stint as overseas professional for Hoylandswaine Cricket Club in Barnsley, 29-year-old Ghulam proved himself a worthy replacement for his country’s star batter Babar Azam, controversially rested after England’s resounding innings victory last week.
Ghulam made a studious 118 as the hosts posted 259 for five, an inscrutable score on a recycled surface that offered several glimpses of uneven bounce without turning into the snake-pit some feared.
Pakistan’s plan to use the same strip as the series opener looked as though it might backfire when England spinner Jack Leach snapped up two cheap wickets in the first 10 overs, but Ghulam’s 149-run stand with Saim Ayub (77) eased concerns as the track settled down.
The tourists looked as though they might fight their way back into pole position when they picked up two more scalps either side of the tea, Matthew Potts drawing a soft shot from Ayub after almost four hours of resistance and Brydon Carse getting Saud Shakeel caught behind.
But Ghulam, who played eight games in South Yorkshire over the summer before being called up for Pakistan A, steered through the uncertainty.
