Pakistan have found a new batting anchor in 21-year-old Azan Awais, who on Sunday made the record books by becoming the first Pakistani batsman in 17 years to score a Test century on debut.
The left-arm opener reached the milestone on Day 3 of the first Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Continuing his overnight score of 85, Awais showed remarkable composure in the morning session, bringing up his hundred in the 51st over with a single off pacer Nahid Rana. | BAN vs PAK, 1st test update – Scorecard |
Awais is now the 14th Pakistani player to score a century in his first Test, joining an elite group that includes Javed Miandad and Younis Khan. However, his success is even more apparent; he is only the third Pakistani to score a debut ton away from home, following in the footsteps of Fawad Alam and Umar Akmal, who both achieved the feat in 2009.
His innings of 103 came from 165 deliveries, complemented by 14 boundaries. While he was eventually dismissed by veteran seamer Taskin Ahmed shortly after hitting the triple, his knock provided the backbone of Pakistan’s response to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 413.
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It wasn’t an easy ride. A short ball from Nahid Rana hit him on the helmet and left him dazed.
Awais’ response to the blow was a sand master class. Despite being visibly shaken and undergoing two separate on-field concussion evaluations, he refused to let the scare tactics disrupt his rhythm.
Instead of retreating, he chose a counterattack. In the final over of Day 2, he faced Nahid Rana – the very bowler who hit him – and dismantled the pacer’s rhythm with three consecutive boundaries. This aggressive display effectively forced Rana out of the attack and allowed Awais to finish the day unbeaten on 85, eventually converting it to his historic century on the morning of the 3rd.
His batting partner Imam-ul-Haq heaped praise and said the experience of playing first-class cricket helped Azam on his Test debut. Before his Test debut, he played 33 first-class matches and scored 2673 runs at an average of 48.60.
“You should prefer red ball domestic cricket. Azan has played 33 first-class matches and scored 10 hundreds. His record speaks for itself,” Imam said.
“He was batting under pressure. There was lateral movement and the Bangladesh bowlers bowled at a decent pace. He kept his composure. He absorbed all the pressure and having played so much domestic cricket really helps.”
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Born in Sialkot in 2004, Awais has long been billed as a “big match” player. While he was a key figure in Pakistan’s 2024 U19 World Cup semi-final against Australia, it was the 2023 U19 Asia Cup where he really made his mark.
His transition to first-class cricket was equally explosive. Representing Sialkot, he dominated the 2024-25 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 844 runs at an average of 76.73, including 203 not out. This relentless domestic form, combined with the “Shaheens” successful tour of England last year, made his senior call-up inevitable.
With his technical solidity and ability to accelerate, Awais is already being touted as a long-term solution to Pakistan’s opening woes across formats. His debut performance in Dhaka not only stabilized the current Test but also raised expectations for the rest of the series.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
May 10, 2026 1:18 PM IST
