Kamran Ghulam Scores Century in Debut Test: “We Can Celebrate Without Mocking Babar Azam”.

• Kamran Ghulam scores century on Test debut against England

• Pakistan finishes day one at 259/5 in the second Test

• Pitch conditions favor spinners as England’s Jack Leach takes early wickets

• Babar Azam rested for the Test; Ghulam shines in his absence

• Cricket fans emphasize celebrating Ghulam’s success without belittling Babar

Pakistan finished the first day of the second Test against England in Multan with 259 runs for the loss of five wickets. As the day ended, Mohammad Rizwan was at the crease with 37 runs, while Salman Agha had scored five runs.

When the match commenced on Tuesday, the most discussed topic was not any player but the pitch at Multan Stadium. This was the same pitch used in the first Test between England and Pakistan, which garnered significant attention on social media. The England Cricket Board even referred to it as a “Day 6” pitch in a social media post, later deleted.

It is commonly believed that old pitches tend to favor spinners more than fast bowlers. After losing the first Test, Pakistan aimed to play on a pitch that would assist spin bowlers. Thus, they included only one fast bowler, Aamir Jamal, and opted for three specialist spinners: Zahid Mahmood, Nauman Ali, and Sajid Khan.

Spinner-friendly conditions were evident immediately as English spinner Jack Leach dismissed opener Abdullah Shafique for just seven runs and captain Shan Masood for three runs. However, cricket analysts and fans on social media appeared pleased overall, as the pitch for the second Test seemed to support bowlers in contrast to the “highway” pitch of the first Test.

Pakistan decided to rest Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah for this Test. Many questioned whether resting Babar, considered the backbone of the team against a formidable side like England, was the right decision. In Babar’s absence, Kamran Ghulam made his debut and validated his selection by scoring a century in his first Test match.

After the innings started, Pakistan lost two players for just 19 runs when Kamran Ghulam entered the field. He partnered with young opener Saeem Ayub to steer Pakistan out of trouble. Together, they established a partnership of 149 runs for the third wicket, with Saeem scoring 77 runs before being dismissed.

Kamran Ghulam remained firm at the crease, completing his century before being out for 118 runs off a delivery from English spinner Shoaib Bashir. Saud Shakeel, who followed him, was dismissed for just four runs.

Cricket fans on social media lauded Kamran Ghulam, calling him “the future of Pakistan.” He became the 13th Pakistani player to score a century on Test debut.

Babar Azam was among those praising Kamran’s performance, sharing pictures of the debutant on his Instagram story with the caption “Well Played.” Many on social media expressed that it was unfair to regard Kamran Ghulam as a replacement for Babar Azam or to mock the former captain.

User Irfi Feroz commented, “It would be unjust to say that Kamran Ghulam has taken Babar Azam’s place in the Pakistan cricket team. That is completely incorrect. We can celebrate Kamran Ghulam’s performance without mocking Babar Azam.”

29-year-old Kamran Ghulam hails from Upper Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has been playing first-class cricket since 2013. Before his Test debut, he amassed 4,377 runs in 59 first-class matches at an average of over 49.