Kamran Ghulam had a debut day to remember in Multan as he smashed a century against England, lighting up Day 1 of the Test after Pakistan elected to bat first.
The 29-year-old, stepping in for Babar Azam, hit a composed 118 off 192 balls, cementing his spot as the 13th Pakistani to score a century on Test debut.
Pakistan was in a bit of a wobble at 214/4, but Ghulam's knock—built on a gritty partnership of 149 runs with opener Saim Ayub (who chipped in with a career-best 77)—kept things steady. Ayub eventually fell to Matthew Potts, but not before showcasing some solid resistance.
Ghulam, who already had 4377 runs in first-class cricket, entered at No. 4 and looked like he belonged right from the start. His knock was filled with 11 boundaries and a classy six, displaying the sort of confidence that made the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) selectors look like geniuses for giving him the call-up.
His impressive run came to an end when he was clean-bowled by off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, reducing Pakistan to 243/5 after 84.2 overs. But by then, he'd already made his mark on the game.
The surprise exclusion of Babar Azam, was announced just a day before the match, had tongues wagging.
The former captain had been struggling to find form, making his omission somewhat expected, despite being a high-profile name. With Pakistan trailing 1-0 in the series and at the bottom of the World Test Championship rankings, Ghulam's debut ton has brought some much-needed positivity.
Now the big question is—will his heroics be enough to lift Pakistan in this series and turn their fortunes around in the Test Championship standings? Only time will tell.
