Fourteen years ago Azhar Ali came on as a substitute fielder to see Inzamam-ul-Haq score a triple-hundred in Lahore, Pakistan, and wished he could emulate the legendary Pakistan batsman.
On Friday Ali notched his own with an unbeaten 302 against the West Indies, joining a select league of batsmen.
What distinguishes the 31-year-old from the rest of the triple-centurions is that he became the first batsman in day-night Test cricket to achieve the landmark.
Photo: AFP
“I still remember I was sent to the ground as a substitute fielder on the day when Inzamam scored that epic triple century,” Ali said of Inzamam’s 329 against New Zealand in May 2002.
“Now I have my own and it’s a great achievement for which I am proud and can’t explain my feelings,” he said.
“It is something which I will remember my whole life,” said Ali, whose innings guided Pakistan to an imperious 579-3 declared.
After the declaration, the West Indies reached 69-1 at stumps on day 2 and were 138-2 at press time last night, 441 runs away from forcing Pakistan to bat again.
Ali was the fourth triple-hundred by a Pakistan batsman. Apart from him and Inzamam, Hanif Mohammad hit 337 against the West Indies at Bridgetown in 1958 and Younis Khan made 313 against Sri Lanka in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2009.
Ali said he had also watched Younis’ triple and missed the senior batsman who had to withdraw from Dubai Test, as he was still recovering from dengue fever.
“Of course, I missed Younis in this match,” Ali said. “He has always been my role model and I was sitting on his seat in the dressing room so I had to keep the honor of that seat as well.”
“I am proud that I have matched him, because whenever he scores a hundred he takes it to double or big scores,” Ali said of Younis, who is Pakistan’s highest Test run-getter with 9,456 in 108 matches.
Since his arrival on the international scene, Ali has impressed with his resolute batting and is likely to anchor Pakistan’s batting once Younis and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq leave the stage.
He has already replaced Misbah as captain of the one-day team.
Ali dedicated his triple-hundred to his parents and also to the people of his nation.
“First, I want to dedicate my achievement to my parents who have always guided me in my life and next to the people of my country, who must keep their minds clear and not let them affect when we don’t do well,” he said.
Ali said the pink ball — used in the day-night Test instead of the traditional red — did not cause any difficulties.
“The pink ball did not cause any problems, we sighted it well and that’s why [we] scored runs so I am okay with it,” he said.
Manufacturers of the pink ball modified its seam from green and white after players had complained of sighting problems in the first-ever day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide last year.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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