Mohammad Hafeez – recalled into the Pakistan Test team for the first time in over two years – scored a century to guide his team to 199-0 against Australia at tea on Day 1.
Hafeez was at the forefront of a Pakistani batting onslaught against a labouring Australian bowling attack with a sensational 113 not out off 186 balls – including 14 fours. Opening the batting with Imam-ul-Haq (nephew of legendary Pakistani batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq), Hafeez posted a massive partnership of 199 runs before the tea interval on the opening day of the first Test in Dubai to put pressure firmly on the new-look Aussie side.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Pakistan’s Hafeez and Imam (75 not out off 181 balls, seven fours, two sixes) took a liking to the Australian attack as they hit the ball to all parts, posting the highest opening partnership for Pakistan in over 32 innings. Hafeez will look to continue his team’s dominance in the final session of the day in a bid to post a mammoth first innings total before bowling at the newly-assembled Australian batting order.
Pakistan XI: 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Asad Shafiq, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Bilal Asif, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Mohammad Abbas
Australia XI: 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine (capt & wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Jon Holland, 11 Nathan Lyon
Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
