Sunday Times

From lowly sub to joining the 300-club

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FOURTEEN years ago Azhar Ali came on as a substitute fielder to see Inzamam-ul-Haq score an epic triple hundred in Lahore and wished he could emulate the legendary Pakistan batsman in the future.

On Friday Ali notched an unbeaten 302 against West Indies in the second ever day-night test in Dubai to join a select league of batsmen.

But what distinguis­hes the 31-yearold from the rest of the triple centurions is that he became the first batsman in day-night test cricket to achieve the landmark.

“I still remember I was sent to the ground as a substitute fielder on the day when Inzamam scored that epic triple century,” said Ali of Inzamam’s 329 against New Zealand in Lahore in May 2002.

“Now I have my own and it’s a great achievemen­t for which I am proud and can’t explain my feelings. It is something which I will remember my whole life,” said Ali, whose innings guided Pakistan to an imperious 579/3 declared.

His was the fourth triple hundred by a Pakistani batsman. Apart from him and Inzamam, the late Hanif Mohammad knocked 337 against West Indies at Bridgetown in 1958 and Younis Khan made 313 against Sri Lanka in 2009.

Ali said he had also watched Younis’s triple in Karachi. The senior batsman had to withdraw from the Dubai test as he was still recovering from dengue fever.

“Of course, I missed Younis in this match,” said Ali. “He has always been my role model and I was sitting on his seat in the dressing room so I had to keep the honour of that seat as well.

“I am proud that I have matched him because whenever he scores a hundred he takes it to double or big scores,” said Ali of Younis, who is Pakistan’s highest test run-getter with 9,456 in 108 matches.

Since his arrival on the internatio­nal HEAVEN-HIGH: Pakistani batsman Azhar Ali celebrates his triple hundred against the West Indies in Dubai. Pakistan declared their first innings at 579/3 on day two scene, Ali has impressed with his resolute batting and is likely to anchor Pakistan’s batting once Younis and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq leave the stage.

He has already replaced Misbah as captain of the one-day team.

Ali dedicated his triple hundred to others. “First, I want to dedicate my achievemen­t to my parents, who have always guided me in my life, and next to the people of my country who must keep their minds clear and not let them affect when we don’t do well.”

Ali believed the pink ball — used in the day-night test instead of the traditiona­l red — did not cause any difficulti­es.

“The pink ball did not cause any problems, we sighted it well and that’s why I scored runs so I am okay with it,” said Ali.

Manufactur­ers of the pink ball modified its seam from green and white after players had complained sighting problems in the first daynight test between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide in Australia last year. — AFP

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