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Pakistan team management gave a Test comeback call to the veteran wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed in the first of the two-match Test series against New Zealand at the National Stadium of Karachi on Monday, 26th of December. Notably, the management has dropped the star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, who had a miserable run of form with the bat recently.
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Coming back to the former Champions Trophy winner skipper, he played his last Test match for Pakistan three years back in the year 2019 against South Africa in Johannesburg. Since then, he couldn’t get a chance to appear in red-ball cricket for the national team Pakistan.
Apart from that, the 35-year-old stunned everyone with his brilliant knock of 86 runs. He also stitched a crucial partnership of 196 runs with skipper Babar Azam for the fifth wicket.
Following Sarfaraz’s comeback knock against New Zealand on the first day of the Karachi Test against New Zealand, the fans took it as an opportunity to troll Mohammad Rizwan. Subsequently, they heaped their praises on the senior lad for his performance.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Sarafaraz Ke aane se shayad Pakistan ki kismat badal jaaye..He was always Better than Qudrat ka Nizam Rizwan
— Ujjwal (@iujjwal_x) December 26, 2022
What a Sound Knock Skip!👑
— Current Cricket (@Anonymo089) December 26, 2022
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Sarfaraz Ahmad Ramiz Raja Rizwan #BabarAzam𓃵 pic.twitter.com/2dZuk9kJ4J
rizwan and sarfraz in the same playing 11 pic.twitter.com/Li3jKBkoJf
— Ahmed. (@ahmxidd) December 26, 2022
New Zealand were prepared for Muhammad Rizwan but Sarfaraz Ahmed came out of syllabus 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/2217aAlsvG
— h-a-m-m-a-d (@iamhmmad1) December 26, 2022
Sarfaraz scored the fifty in his comeback, partnership 129* runs and continues. Pakistan didn't lose a wicket in the second session.
— Shahid (@ishahid__) December 26, 2022
But we all missed Rizwan's smile and those wholesome moments. I hate you PCB for ruining this. #PAKvNZ #PAKvsNZ pic.twitter.com/wMRaUChq4x
Rizwan looking at this like pic.twitter.com/YzymIJEUqd
— ⚡️⚡️🇩🇪 (@its_me_axad) December 26, 2022
Former Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed complete his 19th Test Fifty.
— Surinder (@navsurani) December 26, 2022
Sarfaraz returned in the team after long time in place of Rizwan.
Not Out on 54*
Pakistan 239/4#PAKvsNZ pic.twitter.com/GvXJ36RIkW
Rizwan bhai sudher ja 🤬🤬#SarfarazAhmed #BabarAzam𓃵 #PAKVNZ #NZvPAK pic.twitter.com/lZSqeyNzDb
— Diyar🌛 (@Diyar_Khan01) December 26, 2022
Sarfaraz deserves placement as a batsman, as Rizwan at present form irreplaceable #PAKvNZ https://t.co/fITQW4S0v3
— Hamid Ullah Wazir (@Hamidwaziristan) December 26, 2022
But I now miss Rizwan here. Happy to see Saifi Bhai but Rizzy 🥺 https://t.co/B5L6R7eGjq
— Aqsa🇵🇰 (@AqsaKhizar) December 26, 2022
Speaking of the action of the first day between Pakistan and New Zealand, the former managed to post a total of 317 runs for the loss of five wickets at the time of stumps on day 1. Skipper Babar Azam and number seven batter Agha Salman were there in the middle on the unbeaten individual scores of 161 and 3 runs respectively.
Ajaz Patel and Michael Bracewell scalped two wickets each for the visitors on the first day of the opening fixture of the red-ball series against Babar’s men. Meanwhile, the senior pacer Tim Southee also claimed a wicket to his name when he happened to break the partnership between opponent skipper Babar Azam and number four batter Saud Shakeel.