Ashraf, Shadab steal thunder on Ireland's big day

May 12, 2018

That's more like it: after dismal weather on the first day of Ireland's maiden Test, the sun came out in Malahide•Getty Images

Ireland then lined up for their anthem•Sportsfile/Getty Images

Tim Murtagh was the bowler for Ireland's first over in Test cricket•PA Photos

Stuart Thompson claimed Haris Sohail as his own maiden Test wicket•PA Photos

Asad Shafiq made a battling half-century buy gave it away by holing out to Rankin at square leg•AFP

Shadab completed a counterattacking fifty in the final session•Sportsfile/Getty Images

The chosen 11 were handed two caps before the start of play - one to wear, and one to commemorate the occasion•Sportsfile/Getty Images

The first ball of the match was all-action, and ended with Imam-ul-Haq, a fellow debutant, injuring himself in a collision with Niall O'Brien •Getty Images

... before Boyd Rankin claimed the first wicket, that of Azhar Ali for 4•Sportsfile/Getty Images

Paul Stirling caught Babar Azam in the slips as Ireland's seamers made the early running•Sportsfile/Getty Images

Ireland's fans were gleeful as the Pakistan wickets fell•PA Photos

After years of hard work, Test cricket has finally come to Ireland•PA Photos

Imam hadn't even faced a ball when the physio was called to give him a concussion test•PA Photos

One ball later, Murtagh was also in the wickets, trapping Imam-ul-Haq lbw for 7•Getty Images

Tyrone Kane went wicketless but found some prodigious swing at times•AFP

But Faheem Ashraf and Shadab Khan made a vital century stand to revive Pakistan•Sportsfile/Getty Images