PAK vs. NZ: Thomas Ackland Blundell is a New Zealand cricketer who was born on September 1, 1990. Prior to the toss, history was made with New Zealand playing in Pakistan for a Test series for the first time since 2002.
During Day 1 of the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi, Kiwi wicketkeeper Tom Blundell accomplished a feat that had not been accomplished in 145 years of Men’s Test cricket. While history was made before the toss with New Zealand playing a Test series in Pakistan for the first time since 2002 and veteran Sarfaraz Ahmed getting a recall for his 50th Test on home soil, a first in Men’s Test cricket took place during the first session.
Tim Southee, the new skipper
Tim Southee, the new skipper, brought veteran spinner Ajaz Patel into the attack in the fourth over. The move paid off almost immediately, as Blundell bowled Abdullah Shafique out for seven.
After three overs, the Kiwis took their second wicket, and Shan Masood died when Blundell stumped him off Michael Bracewell’s delivery. This meant that the first two dismissals of the Test were stumpings, a feat for men that had never been accomplished before at the Test level.
The Women’s Test match between Australia and the West Indies in Jamaica in 1976 also started with two stumping dismissals, marking the second time this has happened overall.
After the Pakistan opener was caught out, Bracewell dismissed the typically dependable Imam-ul-Haq, giving New Zealand a strong start to the Test match and the series.
Spinners Michael Bracewell and Ajaz Patel snatched three wickets between them to leave Pakistan battling on 115-4 at lunch Monday on the first day of the season of the primary Test in Karachi.
After Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat, Patel took the early wicket of Abdullah Shafique for seven while Bracewell dismissed Shan Masood for three and Imam-ul-Haq for 24.
Tim Southee, a fast bowler, bowled out Saud Shakeel for 22 in the final over before lunch to cap a successful session for the tourists, who were playing their first Test series in Pakistan since 2002.
Babar Azam, the captain, had scored 54, his 27th Test half-century, and Sarfaraz Ahmed, who had been called up, had scored four.