England vs Pakistan, 2020: 1st Test, Day 1 – Azhar Ali’s duck, Babar Azam’s fifty, Shan Masood’s knock and more stats

Pakistan made a steady start on the opening day of the 3-match Test series against England in Manchester. The visitors made 139/2 in the 49 overs that were possible on the first day due to rain at regular intervals. Abid Ali (16) and skipper Azhar Ali (0) got out in quick space before Lunch. However, a gritty knock by Shan Masood (46* off 152 balls) and Babar Azam (69* off 100 balls) aggressive innings pushed Pakistan into a safe position. The duo put on an unbeaten 96-run stand for the 3rd wicket in only 30.5 overs before stumps.

All the statistical highlights from rain-marred first day’s play of the Test match in Manchester:

The captain starts with a duck:

1 – Azhar Ali became the first captain to be dismissed for a duck in the very first session of a Test match in England. Inzamam-ul-Haq was dismissed for a 3-ball duck during the 2006 Manchester Test on 7th ball after the lunch break on the opening day.

5 – Azhar Ali is only the 5th Pakistan captain to bag a duck in the very first innings of an away Test series opener. Mushtaq Mohammad (in WI, 1977), Wasim Bari (in ENG, 1978), Shoaib Malik (in IND, 2007) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (in SA, 2018) are the other Pakistan skippers to be dismissed for a duck in the very first innings of away Test series opening match.

15 – Azhar Ali now has been dismissed for a duck on 15 occasions in Test cricket; all of them coming while batting in top four. Only Michael Atherton (20), Marvan Atapattu (17), Younis Khan (17), David Boon (16) and Stephen Fleming (16) have bagged more ducks in Test cricket while batting in top four.

Masood makes solid start:

1996 – Shan Masood scored an unbeaten 46 off 152 balls on the first day of this Test match. He is the first Pakistan opener in more than 28 years to face 150+ balls in the first innings of a Test match on England soil. The last was Aamer Sohail in the 1992 Birmingham Test where he scored 284-ball 205.

2015 – Shan Masood is also the first visiting opener in five years to bat 150+ balls in the first innings of a Test match in England. The last opener to do so was Chris Rogers who scored 173 from 300 balls during the first innings of 2015 Lord’s Test.

Yet another 50+ score for Babar:

5 – Babar Azam now has scored 50+ runs in each of his last five Test innings; a streak that began during the 2019-20 home series. He is only the 7th Pakistan player to register five or more consecutive 50+ scores in Test cricket. The last of the previous six Pakistan players with this feat was Sarfaraz Ahmed in 2014.

137* – Babar now has scored 137 runs without getting dismissed in Test cricket on England soil. He scored 68 during Pakistan’s first innings of the 2018 Lord’s Test before getting retired hurt.