Amir gets Cook to claim first Test wicket since return

England at 253/7 as game for day two ends

LONDON: Mohammad Amir claimed on Friday his first Test wicket since his return despite being made to wait due to some poor fielding.

England captain Alastair Cook was put down twice off Amir on his way to an 81-run knock at Lord's against Pakistan.

Mohammad Hafeez spilled a low catch at slip and then wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed put down a dolly.

However, Amir got the wicket in his third attempt as Cook played on a wide Amir delivery onto his stumps.



England 253-7 against Pakistan

England were 253 for seven in reply to Pakistan's first innings 339, a deficit of 86 runs, at the close of the second day of the first Test at Lord's.

Day 2 of the 1st Test was one for the bowlers, as England finished 253/7, 86 runs behind #EngvPak pic.twitter.com/loq6WEtzm7

— ICC (@ICC) July 15, 2016

Cook made 81 and in the process surpassed India great Sunil Gavaskar as the highest run-scoring opening batsman in Test history.

This is the first of a four-Test series.

That's five wickets for the excellent Shah. #EngvPak https://t.co/9mhMQxCRbT

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 15, 2016

Yasir Shah becomes the 1st leg-spinner with 5 wickets at Lord's for 20 years

Leg-spinner Yasir Shah, in his first Test since serving a three-month drugs ban - and first outside of Asia and the United Arab Emirates - took five for 64 to get himself on the Lord's honours board.

It was the first time any leg-spinner had taken five or more wickets in a Test innings at Lord's since his compatriot Mushtaq Ahmed, now on Pakistan's coaching staff, returned second-innings figures of five for 57 against England in 1996.

Chris Woakes who'd earlier taken a Test-best six for 70, was 31 not out and Stuart Broad 11 not out at Friday's close.

Earlier, captain Misbahul Haq was joined by wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed against England as day two of the first Test match started.

Misbah stunned the nation with his performance at Lord’s on Thursday as the team ended day one on 282-6 after winning the toss and opting to bat first. The 42-year-old not only scored an amazing century but also exhibited some serious swag.

He became the sixth oldest player in Test history to make a century as his unbeaten 110 took Pakistan to 282 for six at stumps on the first day of a four-match series.

His achievement was all the more impressive as this was also his first Test at the ‘home of cricket’, yet he secured a coveted place on the Lord’s honours board.

Have you ever seen a celebration like this?! #EngvPak https://t.co/bbGH9lfMpG

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 14, 2016

In the post-match conference, Misbah revealed that the push-ups were for the trainers of Pakistan Army.

“I promised them [army trainers] I would do 10 push-ups if I score a century on this tour,” he said.

“We had an honour code on the boot camp, for push-ups, so that was my promise to them the next time I scored 100. So that was for them, and the salute was for the flag.”

Last month, the PCB had arranged a boot camp at PMA, Kakul for players to increase their fitness level, following the debacle in Asia Cup.

The Islamabad United captain dedicated the ton to his wife and fans. He said his unbeaten century against England at Lord’s was the “top innings” of an impressive Test career.

Misbah equalled West Indies great Vivian Richards’s then world record for the fastest-ever Test century with a blistering 56-ball hundred against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014 — a mark surpassed by Brendon McCullum’s 54-ball hundred for New Zealand against Australia at Christchurch in February.

“I rate this as my top innings in Test cricket and I’m really happy about that,” Misbah said at the post-match presser.

“It’s a dream to play at Lord’s and especially getting 100, and the name on the honours board is something special,” added Misbah, who vindicated his own decision to bat first after winning the toss.

“Obviously when you are playing competitive cricket you just don’t think about your age. If you are there, you just take on the challenge that comes with playing the game.

"These records are always something special, and they are very satisfying to make those kinds of achievements, but the main thing is just to keep achieving for your country,” he added.