Pakistan 81-0 in a solid start to day-night Test

Openers Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam gave Pakistan a solid start against West Indies on the opening day of the day-night Test in Dubai on Thursday.

Pakistan were 81-0 at tea without losing a wicket after Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and opted to bat in the second ever day-night Test, played with a pink ball instead of the traditional red, at Dubai stadium. Ali, playing his 50th Test, was unbeaten on 38 and Aslam was 37 not out as West Indies’ pace-cum-spin attack failed to strike on a flat grass-less pitch which is expected to take spin after three days.

Australia and New Zealand featured in a day-night Test at Adelaide in November last year, the first-ever in Test cricket’s 140-year-old history.

It couldn’t have been a better start for Pakistan in a match marking their 400th Test, as they won a crucial toss and were given a rock solid start against the West Indies who enterted the Test with three seamers and two spinners.

Pakistan gave Test caps to middle-order batsman Babar Azam and allrounder Mohammad Nawaz. Ali, who has so far hit five boundaries, had a life when Leon Johnson failed to hold on a sharp chance at gully off paceman Miguel Cummins on 17. 

West Indian captain Jason Holder brought on his part-time spinner Kraig Brathwaite in the 15th over and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo in the 21st but there were no signs of spin. Aslam has so far hit three boundaries in his 82-ball stay.

The remaining Tests will be played in Abu Dhabi (October 21-25) and Sharjah (October 30-November 3).