Dogged resistance by tourists ensures that honours are even in historic game
TIM MURTAGH conceded Ireland’s Test inexperience might have led to Pakistan’s fightback in Malahide on the first day of play in the historic encounter.
Following Friday’s washout, the hosts made a fine start to their inaugural fixture in the longest format yesterday, taking their first two wickets with successive balls en route to reducing Pakistan to 159 for six.
However, teenager Shadab Khan and debutant Faheem Ashraf both posted halfcenturies in an unbeaten seventh-wicket stand worth 109, pushing the total to 268 for six.
Murtagh, who, like Boyd Rankin and Stuart Thompson, claimed two wickets, admitted it was a frustrating end to the day but is hopeful the new ball early this morning will reap rewards.
‘It is a bit of a disappointment as we got the ball swinging for the majority of the day,’ the 36-year-old said. ‘It is shame that the partnership at the end has taken it a little bit away from us.
‘[It is] probably a lack of cricket for the whole squad, a bit of tiredness in the legs towards the end there perhaps has taken its toll a little bit, but we are up to the new ball pretty much straight away in the morning. We can hope we can nip out these last four wickets quite quickly.
‘We spilled a couple of chances towards the end. If we had taken one of those and got another one, 250-odd for eight looks different. It’s a shame but we will rest up and come hard again in the morning.’
When the Irish Test caps were presented to the team prior to play finally getting under way, Murtagh revealed he was taken aback.
‘It was really special,’ he added. ‘It is the sort of thing that I hadn’t thought much about before but all the families were there in the background.
‘I think a couple of boys did get a bit emotional – a sort of spine-tingling moment.
‘We hadn’t really thought how special it would be until we did get the cap this morning. It was a nice occasion and nice to share it with the families.
‘I think there a couple of guys that kept their sunglasses on in case there was a couple (of tears) rolling down.
‘It was a really nice occasion but it was important that we put that behind us and got rid of that emotion and got on with the cricket.’
Eleven months after being granted full membership and 25 years after being awarded associate status, the historic moment did prove memorable.
Pakistan opener Azhar Ali attempted to scoot
through for a quick single and Imam-ul-Haq, the nephew of former international batsman Inzamam, collided with Niall O’Brien, forcing a delay while he was attended to.
Both Azhar and Imam, nephew of the great Inzamam, the captain on the day Ireland beat Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup in Jamaica, would depart for single figures, the former to a back-of-a-length delivery from Rankin, before Imam was trapped in front by Murtagh next ball.
Shortly after lunch, Haris Sohail became Stuart Thompson’s first Test victim when he prodded to Irish captain William Porterfield at gully on 31, and Murtagh then tempted Babar Azam to edge to Paul Stirling at second slip.
Asad Shafiq made 62 before he pulled a delivery from Rankin straight to Andrew Balbirnie at square leg to depart for 62 and leave Pakistan five down.
And Ireland claimed their sixth wicket, with only 159 on the board, when Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed was caught at second slip to become Thompson’s second victim.
However, Ireland soon learned about the ebbs and flows of Test cricket as Shadab and Ashraf rebuilt the innings in the final session of what was supposed to be an extended day, but ended up being truncated.