The first Test of the series between Pakistan and England was played in Rawalpindi on Thursday, marking the team’s return to competitive cricket. A few weeks after they squared off in the T20 World Cup final, which England won by five wickets to win their second championship, the two teams rekindled their rivalry in the longest version of the game. England’s trip to Pakistan for the five-day games will be their first since 2005, when a team managed by Michael Vaughan competed in three Test matches.
The quality of the pitches was one of the main worries among Pakistani cricket fans and ex-players prior to the series, and it originates from the team’s previous home Test series against Australia. After the match finished in a stalemate, the Rawalpindi field received a demerit point, and the series’ other fields received criticism for being mainly lifeless.
A reporter questioned Babar Azam about the issue prior to the test as he pointed out that Pakistan only earned 4 points from the series against Australia, which resulted in Pakistan losing the World Test Championship. He also inquired as to whether the pitches in the England series will be goal-oriented. However, the captain of Pakistan responded in a really humorous way.
After the reporter pointed up the problems with the pitch conditions for over a minute, Babar replied, “Kuch aur reh gaya? Aur kar lein aap. Ho gaya? Chaliye good (Do you have anything left to say? You can say. No? Good).” After this the crowd were laughing out loud listening to that hilarious reply.
However, on Day 1 of the first Test, issues with the pitch conditions reemerged when England, having chosen to bat, put up an astounding 174/0 in the day’s opening session. The opening pair of Zak Crawley (122 off 111 deliveries) and Ben Duckett (107 off 110 balls) put together a remarkable 233-run partnership in just 35.4 overs, defying Babar’s prediction that the ground would favor quick bowlers.
