Desk: Pakistan has created a rare history in Test cricket. In the ongoing first Test match against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, three debutant players of the team have scored half-centuries in the first innings. Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha and Arafat Minhas did this feat, which has happened only for the second time in the 149-year history of Test cricket.
Pakistan cricket team had given test cap to four players in this match, and all of them left their mark. Among the batsmen, Tayyab Arif scored 57 runs, Mohammad Taha scored 51 runs and Arafat Minhas scored 52 runs. All three of them performed brilliantly in their very first Test innings. Arafat Minhas scored 52 runs in 72 balls, which included 9 fours and a six. He also made a partnership of 44 runs with Saud Shakeel, who himself missed a century and was out after scoring 93 runs.
This had happened only once before in Test history. In the year 1992, Zimbabwe had achieved this feat in its first test match against India. Then Andy Flower, Grant Flower and Dave Houghton scored half-centuries on debut. Pakistan declared its innings against Sri Lanka by scoring 434 runs for 9 wickets in the first innings. These new faces had a big role in this, who took the team to a strong score.
Not only the batsmen, debutant fast bowler Saqib Khan also did wonders with the ball. He took two important wickets in Sri Lanka's first innings. Shakib, along with experienced bowler Mohammad Abbas, gave initial shocks to Sri Lanka. Abbas dismissed Pasendu Suriyabandara for zero, while Shakib took the wickets of Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Udara. Lahiru Udara had scored a quick 42 runs in 47 balls, but Shakib got him caught out by wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori.
By the end of the second day's play, Sri Lanka had scored 114 runs at the loss of 3 wickets. Due to bad light the game had to be stopped early for the second consecutive day. Pakistan is maintaining a big lead over Sri Lanka in this match and is moving towards victory.