RAWALPINDI: Opening batter Imam-ul-Haq returned to test cricket after 27 months with a gritty half century and provided Pakistan with a solid start in its first home test against Australia in 24 years. Left-handed Imam, preferred over Shan Masood, was unbeaten on 57 off 99 balls and his opening partner Abdullah Shafique made 44 as Pakistan reached 105-1 at lunch on Day 1 of the historic first test.
Skipper Babar Azam won the toss and made the call for Pakistan to bat first on a wicket which was devoid of grass and only had some early help for the spinners.
Australia's three-pronged pace attack, led by captain Pat Cummins, couldn't get any lateral movement off the slow wicket and even offspinner Nathan Lyon was ineffective until he dismissed Shafique in the penultimate over before the break.
Shafique was beaten in the flight by Lyon as he tried to heave the offspinner over long off and was brilliantly caught by a running Cummins.
Lyon extracted a brief turn off the wicket when he was bowled as early as in the eighth over, but both openers dominated the veteran spinner by using their feet and raised a brilliant century stand in nearly 2-1/2 hours.
Lyon bowled 11 overs after being introduced within the first hour and had figures of 1-36. Imam, who last played a test match against Australia at Adelaide in December 2019, survived a close call for lbw in Mitchell Starc's third over as the visitors went for an unsuccessful television review and the replays suggested the ball would have went over the stumps.
Shafique also had a close call but Travis Head dropped a difficult chance in the leg slip in Lyon's second over a ball after the offspinner was smacked for a straight six. Imam raised his half century by pulling Cummins to square leg boundary for a four and overtook his batting partner once Australia briefly applied part-time offspinner Head and Lyon.
Australian players wore black armbands as a tribute to Australia's former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, who died on Friday at age 74.