Chasing 355 in the second Test of the three-match series against England, in Multan, Pakistan were reduced to 291-7 after Ollie Pope caught Saud Shakeel for 94. Lunch were taken at that score. Abrar, having already taken 11 wickets in the Test match, had been promoted to No.9 after having batted at No.11 in the first innings. Having not scored off the three balls he had faced before lunch, he now decided to come out all guns blazing.

Agha Salman took a single off the second ball of the session. Abrar immediately hoicked James Anderson, no less, past mid-wicket for four. He went for another slog off the next ball, and picked up a single off an inside edge to deep square-leg. Salman, the more accomplished of the two batters (he has a Test fifty and 14 First-class hundreds) played out the over.

Mark Wood now bounced at Abrar, who slogged and missed, but slammed the next ball straight down the ground for four. Again Wood bowled short, and again Abrar missed. To the next ball, he moved away and played an astonishing late cut past short-third for four. Ben Stokes moved the fielder finer, and Wood bowled closer to the body, but Abrar moved away further, and the ball went over the fielder’s head for four.

Salman dutifully returned the strike to Abrar, allowing Abrar five balls of Anderson. Unlike Wood, Anderson bowled on a length, and Abrar’s hit went to cover. He had scored 17 in 12 balls; since lunch, 17 in nine, with four fours.

Pakistan needed 45 at this point, with two wickets in hand. In the end, they fell short by 26 runs.

Watch Abrar Ahmed’s stroke-filled cameo here:

Enterprising cameo from debutant Abrar Ahmed 🏏#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/llfBWahOry

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 12, 2022