Pakistan Trio Rewrites History With Record-Equaling Test Debuts in Rawalpindi

Pakistan made history on Tuesday as three of their new players, Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha and Arafat Minhas, scored half-centuries in their first Test innings, matching a record that had remained untouched for 24 years.

Tayyab was called up to the squad on Saturday, joining three other players ahead of Pakistan's two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. He was given the chance to open alongside Azan Awais in the first Test on Monday and made the most of it, scoring 57 from just 51 balls. His quick innings included nine fours and a six.

Mohammad Taha also made a good impression in his first outing, but took a different approach at the crease. The 26-year-old all-rounder spent 105 deliveries scoring 51 runs, hitting five fours along the way.

Arafat Minhas completed the trio's achievement on Wednesday's play, coming in at No. 8 and adding another half-century to Pakistan's total. He made 52 from 72 balls, with nine fours and a six, helping the hosts take their score beyond 400.

Interestingly, this was only the second time in Test cricket that three players scored half-centuries in their debut innings in the same match. The first such occasion came in 1992, when Zimbabwe's Grant Flower, Dave Houghton and Andy Flower all scored more than 50 runs against India in their first Test.

Houghton led the way with a brilliant 121, while Grant scored 82 and Andy added 59 to complete the rare achievement.

Talking about the ongoing Rawalpindi Test, Pakistan is currently on the front foot after scoring 434 in the first innings. Saud Shakeel remained the key performer for the home side, as he scored 93 off 199 balls, smashing nine boundaries in total.

In reply, Sri Lanka have lost three wickets by the end of the second day, scoring 114 in 27 overs. Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva have forged a strong partnership after the early setbacks, scoring 40 and 22 respectively. They will resume their innings tomorrow, aiming to add more runs to the board, while Pakistan will look to take quick wickets to restrict Sri Lanka to a low total.