DUBLIN: Ireland took their first wickets in men´s Test cricket as they reduced Pakistan to 13 for two with successive deliveries on the second day at Malahide on Saturday.
Boyd Rankin, who had previously taken one wicket in a lone Test appearance for England before switching to Ireland, made the breakthrough.
With the last ball of the eighth over, Rankin had Azhar Ali out for four runs as he edged tentatively to Ireland captain William Porterfield at second slip.
And the very next ball 13 for one became 13 for two when left-hander Imam-ul-Haq, who was also making his Test debut, was lbw for seven to a Tim Murtagh delivery that came back into him.
The Test got off to a dramatic start when Imam was injured on the first ball.
Azhar Ali dug out a single off the opening delivery from Tim Murtagh and called for a quick legside single. Non-striker Imam, in scrambling to complete the run, found himself sandwiched between wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien and Tyrone Kane in a heavy collision.
The 22-year-old left-hander was left flat on the ground and needed several minutes´ treatment on the field.
But he recovered and faced his first ball, the second of the match, from Murtagh with Imam, who had had a cold press applied to the back of his neck, playing and missing before he saw out the remainder of the over at a sunny Malahide.
Earlier, Ireland won the toss and decided to bowl first against Pakistan in the historic match.
Imamul Haq and Faheem Ashraf are making their debut on Saturday, while whole Irish team is the debutant in this four-day match.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi presented the Test caps to both Pakistani debutants. “Test cap presented to @ImamUlHaq12 & @iFaheemAshraf by @najamsethi as Ireland win the toss and decide to bowl first. Pak team unchanged from the match vs Northamptonshire,” cricket commentator Zainab Abbas tweeted.
Test cap presented to @ImamUlHaq12 & @iFaheemAshraf by @najamsethi as Ireland win the toss and decide to bowl first. Pak team unchanged from the match vs Northamptonshire pic.twitter.com/WQgAG1NkSK
— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) May 12, 2018
Talking to media after the toss, Irish captain Porterfield said that this is a huge day for him and his team.
Pakistani captain Sarfraz Ahmed also said that it is an honour for his team to be part of this historic match. “We have two debutants and we will play the match with five bowlers,” he said.
PAKISTAN TEAM:
IRELAND TEAM:
Earlier in the day, on its official Twitter account, Ireland Cricket shared the picture of the groud: “What a day we have ahead of us!”
What a day we have ahead of us! #BackingGreen pic.twitter.com/ZL0s1yTSu6
— Cricket Ireland (@Irelandcricket) May 12, 2018
It will be a four-day match now, the officials said.
On Friday, the rain did not allow any play and umpires and match referee had to call the day off. Irish cricket board tweeted: “There will sadly be no play on day one of our first men’s Test.”
BREAKING: There will sadly be no play on day one of our first men’s Test #IREvPAK #BackingGreen pic.twitter.com/vUfsdbK5lR
— Cricket Ireland (@Irelandcricket) May 11, 2018
All of today’s ticket-holders will receive a 100% refund, the Ireland Cricket said.
Ireland will become just the 11th nation to debut in men’s Test cricket when they will face Pakistan in Dublin’s Malahide cricket ground.
They will be the first team to debut in the longers form of the game since Bangladesh in 2000, after being awarded full member status along with Afghanistan last June.
Meanwhile, Pakistan will not take Ireland easy as Irish team will look to do what no side has done in the 141-year history of cricket: win their inaugural Test match.
The match will start at 3pm PST.
