Fawad Alam missed a decade of his Test career due to the rotating door policies of the Pakistan Cricket Board and fickle team management. After Fawad Alam scored 168 against Sri Lanka in 2009, the left-hander was unceremoniously dropped and was not picked for over 3900 days. In 2020, Fawad Alam was picked in the series against England and his comeback was difficult as he was dismissed for a duck. In his over-decade long exile from Pakistan cricket, Fawad Alam had scored over 12000 First-Class runs at an average of 56 which is the best for Pakistan in a long time. However, things changed for him when he scored a century against New Zealand in Bay Oval and it silenced his critics.
Adopting a Shivnarine Chanderpaul stance, Fawad Alam's stature has risen after he hit his third century and first at home during the first Test against South Africa at the National Stadium in Karachi. The knock was even more special as Fawad Alam came when Pakistan was 33/4 and at the end of day 2, they had managed to take an 88-run lead thanks to partnerships of 94, 55 and 102 by Fawad Alam with Azhar Ali, Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf. However, when he scored his third ton, Fawad Alam matched this record set by Mohammad Azharuddin, the former India skipper.
Fawad Alam's first three 50+ scores are now centuries, matching the feat of Mohammad Azharuddin who smashed 110, 105 and 122 in the 1984 series against England. However, the feat of Mohammad Azharuddin is even more remarkable considering that he achieved it in his first three Tests of his career. Mohammad Azharuddin remains the only player to have hit three consecutive centuries in his first three matches. Although Fawad Alam has not scored three consecutive centuries, his first three 50+ scores are all hundreds which are similar to Mohammad Azharuddin. The world record, though, is held by George Headley of the West Indies who hit six of his first 50+ scores into centuries. Ravi Bopara of England also holds this achievement.
Pakistan on top
The Pakistan cricket team is hosting South Africa for a Test series at home for the first time since 2007. In that previous series, South Africa had won 1-0 thanks to the exploits of Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn. Pakistan has won a Test series against South Africa only once since they started playing each other in 1994. That win came in 2003.
Pakistan bowled South Africa out for 220 in the first innings with Yasir Shah taking three wickets backed by two wickets from Shaheen Afridi and Nauman Ali. Pakistan was left reeling at 33/4 but Fawad Alam has shown his class and he has put Pakistan on course for a first Test win against the Proteas since 2013. Pakistan has won only four out of 27 Tests against South Africa with seven matches being drawn.
