The first Test between Pakistan and Australia at Rawalpindi this week could have easily claimed to have been the most eagerly anticipated international cricket fixture this century.
The reasons were two-fold: a whole generation of Pakistani fans have been deprived of watching international cricket at home in the aftermath of the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009 and, secondly, because it was a full-strength Australian team that had agreed to come to Pakistan for a tour comprising all three formats.
While the match itself ended in a dull draw, the occasion itself lived up to its billing. It began on Friday morning in glorious sunshine in front of just a handful of spectators, due to the traditional lunchtime prayers, after which fans, young and old, arrived in numbers with an equally large number of horns which added to the atmosphere at Pindi Stadium
Pakistan won the toss and batted first on a very dry, grass-less wicket and although Australia had only included one specialist spinner in its playing XI compared to Pakistan's three, off spinner Nathan Lyon was introduced into the attack in just the ninth over. With nothing at all in the pitch for the quicks, Australia used eight bowlers in all as Pakistan went to stumps on 245/1.
The first day belonged to Imam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan opener and nephew of the great Pakistani batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq, who ended the day 132 not out, his maiden Test century in his twelfth match. Together with Azhar Ali, who contributed 64 not out, their unbroken partnership was 140 at stumps.
However, the opening day of the series was overshadowed by two external events, one 185 kilometres away in Peshawar and the other in Thailand. While one traumatised the people of Pakistan, the other rocked the entire cricketing world.
In the early afternoon, news came through that there had been a suicide attack at Koocha Risaldar mosque shortly before Friday prayers in Peshawar's old city that claimed 62 lives.
With Pakistan having lived in relative peace for many years now, the attack came as a tragic surprise but, with the Australian team being afford state-level security arrangements including a reported 4000 security personnel around the ground, Cricket Australia made no suggestion of abandoning the tour repeating their decision to stay in England after the London bombings in 2005.
At the start of the match, the teams shared in a minute's silence to honour the passing of its past great Rod Marsh. Soon after play finished, it became Australian cricket's darkest day, with the news that Shane Warne had also died, while on holiday in Koh Samui.
Michael Kasprowicz, the former Australian international who is here in Pakistan as a commentator, described to the BBC the moment when he heard of Warne's passing as “horrible, absolutely horrible” and that it was “not easy to process, it didn't feel like it wasn't real”.
Despite the sadness, almost unthinkable when play began, the Pakistani fans packed the ground on Saturday for day two. With Imam and Azhar looking untroubled, but ticking along at under 3 runs an over, most of the Australian appeals were in hope rather than with conviction.
Bizarrely, every appeal by the tourists was matched with vociferous noise by the expectant crowd, making it known that they were at Pindi Stadium to watch Babar Azam bat. Eventually Imam fell LBW to Australian captain Pat Cummins for a well-complied 157 and Pakistani fans at the ground, and those watching on TV at home, had their wish.
Babar is a super star in the eyes of Pakistani fans and this was a rare occasion to see him bat in a home Test. He made 36 before being run out by a direct hit by Marnus Labuschagne while Azher fell short of a double century when he was caught off Labuschagne's part-time leg spin for 185 before Pakistan declared on 476/4.
Australia's response was strong as they scored at four runs an over, with Usman Khawaja and David Warner adding 156 for the first wicket before Warner was dismissed for 68 in the post-lunch session on day three. Khawaja, who was born in Islamabad, the sister city to Rawalpindi, came agonising close to three figures when he was dismissed for 97 attempting a reverse sweep off left-arm spinner Nauman Ali.
With bad light stopping play for the second day in succession, Australia went to stumps on 271/2 with Labuschagne on 69 and Steve Smith with him unbeaten on 24. After heavy over-night rain, play on day four was delayed and only 64 overs were bowled as Australia reached 449/7 at stumps.
With sun back out for the final day, Pakistan cleaned up the Australian tail with just 10 further runs added. The star performer for Pakistan was Nauman who claimed 6/107, his third five-wicket bag and his best bowling in an innings, in his eighth Test.
From there, it became batting practice for Pakistan on a pitch that Smith had labelled as “dead”. Openers Imam and Abdullah Shafique cashed in as the match meandered towards a draw both bringing up centuries.
For Shafique, it was his maiden ton in just his third Test, while Imam became the first Pakistani player to score three figures in both innings since Azhar and Misbah-ul-Haq both achieved the feat in the same match against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014. Together, Imam and Shafique added 252 as Australia went wicketless before the match was called off early.
There was a lot of criticism on social media from Pakistani fans about the pitch during the match. In comparison, last year when South Africa played a Test here, neither side scored over 300 runs in either innings as Pakistan won by 85 runs.
For cricket in Pakistan though, the primary purpose was achieved, as they successfully hosted Australia for the first time since 1998. As one fan said on Twitter “this is much bigger than a game of cricket”.
Kasprowicz was on that tour in 1998 and when he spoke to BBC during the match he said that when the opportunity to come back to Pakistan came up he thought “you know what, I want to take it because it was really exciting for international cricket”. He added that “I'm really enjoying being here and I actually feel really comfortable”.
It should be remembered that Kasprowicz and the other local and foreign media don't have an army and police security blanket around them as the players do. There are also no COVID quarantine requirements here in Pakistan so, in many ways, it's just another tour – although the players are in a bio bubble.
But, because of Pakistan's cricketing backstory, that couldn't be further from the reality, it's a tour of huge international significance. The Test series continues at Karachi on Saturday and concludes at Lahore from 21-25 March before the white-ball matches back in Rawalpindi.
Andrew McLean is a freelance journalist covering the series in Pakistan
