DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC) – Beleaguered West Indies endured another chastening day here Thursday as opener Azhar Ali stroked his 11th Test hundred to spearhead Pakistan’s domination of the opening day of the historic day/night first Test.
The visitors were kept in the field all day at the Dubai International Stadium as Pakistan, opting to bat first, finished on 279 for one with Azhar ending unbeaten on a superb 146.
He put on 215 for the first wicket with 20-year-old partner Sami Aslam who fell for 90, a partnership which was the country’s fourth highest opening stand in Tests.
Asad Shafiq was looking ominous at the close, unbeaten on 33, already having shared a 64-run, partnership for the second wicket with Azhar.
Off-spinner Roston Chase, who has sent down 21 overs – the most by any bowler – claimed the only wicket to finish with one for 63.
He accounted for Sami Aslam, bowled off the under edge, halfway through the final session with the advantage firmly in Pakistan’s favour.
Having lost every game on tour, courtesy of humbling 3-0 whitewashes in the preceding Twenty20 and One-Day International series, West Indies would have been hoping for a brighter start, but instead found themselves at the mercy of the opening pair of Azhar and Sami Aslam.
The duo hardly put a foot wrong as they comfortably batted through the first two sessions, carrying Pakistan to 81 without loss at lunch and 172 without loss at the second interval.
The right-handed Azhar, playing in his 50th Test, has faced 268 balls in six hours at the crease and counted 14 fours while the left-handed Sami Aslam struck nine fours in an innings spanning 212 balls in just over 4-¾ hours.
Neither batsman suffered much alarm during the first session as the West Indies bowlers failed to produce anything threatening with the pink ball in only the second ever day/night Test.