LONDON: Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas reached a major milestone on Thursday, completing 900 wickets in first-class cricket during the second Test against England at Lord’s.
Abbas achieved the feat in the opening session of the Test after dismissing Ben Duckett for 17 runs. He then removed England captain Joe Root and claimed another wicket, finishing the session with all three England wickets to fall.
The 36-year-old reached 900 first-class wickets in his 222nd match.
Abbas has taken his first-class wickets at an average of 20.43, including 57 five-wicket hauls and 15 10-wicket match hauls.
With the milestone, Abbas moved to fifth on the list of bowlers with the most first-class wickets in the 21st century.
England’s James Anderson leads the list with 1,157 wickets, followed by South Africa’s Simon Harmer with 1,056, Sri Lanka’s Malinda Pushpakumara with 1,010 and England’s Tim Murtagh with 959.
England struggled during the first day, losing five wickets for 150 runs in 31.4 overs.
Abbas claimed all three wickets, including the key dismissal of Joe Root, giving Pakistan a strong start in the second Test at the historic Lord’s ground.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against England in the second Test at Lord’s on Thursday.
The toss was delayed twice because of rain, while intermittent showers were forecast throughout the day, raising concerns over possible interruptions to play.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam said the team opted to bowl first to take advantage of the grass on the pitch under overcast conditions.
Babar has returned to captain the side for the second Test, with Salman Ali Agha, who led Pakistan in the opening match, dropped from the playing XI.
The weather is expected to remain a major factor at Lord’s, with rain forecast at intervals during the day.
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Pakistan will look to exploit the conditions with its pace attack early in England’s innings, while the hosts will aim to negotiate the movement expected from the surface.
