Ireland take grip in their first Test

Dublin, May 12: Ireland continued to enjoy their inaugural Test by dismissing Pakistan dangerman Asad Shafiq as wickets kept falling at Malahide on Saturday.

Pakistan, who had seen Shafiq make 62 as they recovered from losing two wickets in successive balls to be 13/ 2, were 193/ 6 at tea on the second day after being sent into bat by Ireland captain William Porterfield following Friday’s first- day washout.

Boyd Rankin, the 15th man and the first since Kepler Wessels ( Australia and South Africa) 25 years ago to play Test cricket for two nations after making a lone appearance for England, had the honour of taking Ireland’s first Test wicket.

At tea, Tim Murtagh and fellow pacemen Rankin and Stuart Thompson had taken two wickets each.

Murtagh had 2/ 30 in 14 overs, Rankin two for 33 in 14 and Thompson a slightly more expensive 2/ 47 in 13, with Ireland opting against including a specialist spinner in their XI.

Shadab Khan was 25 not out and Faheem Ashraf, making his debut, 15 not out at the interval.

Only Shafiq and Haris Sohail ( 31), who put on 58 for the third wicket, had yet to make more than 30 in the innings.

There was drama at a sun- drenched Malahide even before the wickets fell, with Pakistan debutant Imam- ul- Haq injured off the first ball of the match.

Azhar Ali dug out a Murtagh delivery and called for a quick legside single.

Non- striker Imam, in scrambling to complete the run, found himself sandwiched between wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien and Tyrone Kane in a heavy collision.

The 22- year- old was left flat on the ground and needed several minutes’ treatment on the field, but he recovered to face the second ball of the match, with Imam playing and missing.

Imam, the nephew of Pakistan selection chief and former Test batsman Inzamam- ul- Haq, scored a hundred on his one- day international debut against Sri Lanka last year.