RAWALPINDI: Pakistan opener Abid Ali became the first batsman to score hundreds on both Test and one-day international debuts when he struck a ton against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Sunday.
On 95, the 32-year-old hit paceman Vishwa Fernando for a boundary and then drove him through cover for two to complete his hundred, raising his hands in jubilation before bowing down on the ground.
His feat came on the fifth and final day at Rawalpindi stadium and follows his 112 against Australia in Dubai on his one-day international debut in March this year.
Abid one of 15 batsmen to score a hundred on a one-day international debut since the inception of limited over cricket in January 1971, but none of the others also had a Test debut century.
Test cricket started in 1876.
Abid is the 11th Pakistani batsmen to score a century on Test debut.
"I don’t have words to thank the Almighty," said Abid of his feat.
"My plan was to see off the new ball and then I gradually built the innings with plans for every five overs. So I kept trying to keep that up, and Babar gave me confidence in 90s."
Abid’s feat spiced up the historic Test, the first in Pakistan since the 2009 attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus left international cricket suspended in the country.
The match ended in a draw after bad weather hit all previous four days.
Pakistan scored 252-2 in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 308-6.
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