Ireland vs Pakistan 2018, Only Test – Statistical Highlights

Ireland made their entry to Test cricket with a 5-wicket defeat against Pakistan but showed their experience giving the visiting side a real fight. Ireland were enforced to follow-on after conceding a lead of 180 runs as the match was reduced to a 4-day game due to a washout on day one. Kevin O’Brien led the charge in their 2nd innings by scoring the maiden Test ton by an Irish cricketer and set a target of 160. Ireland were fancying their chances by picking three wickets for 14 runs before Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam bailed Pakistan out of troubles.

All the stats and numbers that were recorded during Ireland’s debut in Test cricket:

1 – Boyd Rankin became the first player to represent two different teams in all the three formats. He represented England in ODIs, T20Is and Tests in the 2013-2014. He is also the 15th player to represent two countries in Test cricket and first in the last 25 years.

3 – Andy Balbirnie became the first No.3 player in Test cricket to bag a pair on Test debut. He bagged an 8-ball duck in the first innings and a duck in four balls in the 2nd innings while batting at No.3.

4 – As many as four Test debutants scored fifties in this match – Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Kevin O’Brien (Century) and Stuart Thompson. This is the first occasion when four debutants scored 50+ in a Test match. There are 16 other instances when three debutants scored fifty-plus in the same Test match.

6 – Kevin O’Brien is only the 6th player to win the Man of the Match award on Test debut despite being on the losing side. Pakistan’s Fawad Alam was the last of the previous five players to win a MoM in their Test debut even after finishing on the losing side.

9/110 – Mohammad Abbas became the first Pakistan fast bowler to take as many as nine wickets in a Test match since 2010. The last to achieve this feat was Mohammad Asif in December 2009 when he took 9/107 against New Zealand in Wellington.

34y 68d – Kevin O’Brien became the 3rd oldest player in the Test history to score a century on debut. Adam Voges (35y 242d) and Dave Houghton (35y 117d) are the only players to score a century on Test debut being older than Kevin.

39y 231d – Ed Joyce made his Test debut at the age of 39 years and 231 days and is the 19th oldest Test debutant. He is also the oldest player to make his Test debut since 1993.

74* – Imam-ul-Haq’s unbeaten 74 is the 2nd highest individual score in a successful chase by a Pakistan player on Test debut. Yasir Hameed scored 105 on his Test debut in 2003 against Bangladesh.

118 – Kevin O’Brien’s 118 is the 2nd highest score in a follow-on inning for any player on Test debut. Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji scored an unbeaten 154 for England in the 1896 Manchester Test against Australia.

2002 – For the first time in 16 years, Pakistan enforced a follow-on in Test cricket. The last time they enforced follow-on was in the Lahore Test against New Zealand in May 2002.