IN any class of cricket a good and solid start is of utmost importance and that is only possible if a team has a pair of batsmen who by experience have been able to develop a perfect understanding between themselves but also at the same time are able to sharpen their skills of playing the new ball.

The foundation of a respectable or an impressive score therefore depends a lot on the openers if they put up a solid partnership for the others to build on.

From the seventies to a decade and a half later, the West Indians Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, India’s Sunil Gavaskar who successfully partnered with Chetan Chauhan and later with Srikkant or the Australians Mark Taylor, David Boon, Geoff Marsh, Matthew Hayden had those kind of skills and stamina.

In the recent past players such as Graeme Smith, Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs of South Africa come to mind who regularly laid good foundations for their team.

Pakistan, over the years, have had individually brilliant players as opening batsmen and that include Nazar Mohammad, Hanif Mohammad, Majid Khan, Mudassar Nazar, Amir Sohail and Saeed Anwar.

Since then, unfortunately, Pakistan has not been able to produce a pair who could be relied upon to open the innings.

This has been the case and a disappointing one too for recent Pakistan teams as none of those who opened for Pakistan recently have shown those skills to establish themselves at the top slot and provide Pakistan a much-needed start.

The story here in this series has not been any different. Inconsistency, lack of skills and technique to survive in the middle for long have been a great setback for Pakistan batting.

When Mohammad Hafeez got himself out through a needless cut which went straight into the hands of the backward point in the very first over of the day, it appeared as if Pakistan batting was in for yet another poor show. But thanks to young Sami Aslam who as an opening batsman displayed tremendous maturity to stay at the wicket, rotate the strike and leave balls which would have proved dangerous to tackle.

Sami’s resolute knock drew praise from none other than Geoffrey Boycott, one of the most skillful of opening batsmen, who admired the diminutive left-hander for his shot selection and temperament throughout. No doubt, to everyone present here, Sami looked to be a good judge of line and length with a sound defensive technique.

In fact, so far this Test match has been a real success story for both Sohail Khan and Sami — brought in the series for the first time — who produced the kind of performance that Misbah-ul-Haq’s team so desperately needed for a strong comeback.

Alongwith Azhar Ali, who looked in his elements for the first time in this series, Sami put up a handsome second wicket partnership of over a hundred and fifty to provide some sanity and respectability to Pakistan innings.

The contest no doubt is developing into an intense one and a lead in the first innings will surely be the key for Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2016