LONDON — Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir got a muted reception at Lord’s on the second day of the first Test Friday as he bowled for the first time in a Test since being banned for spot-fixing.
The left-handed pace bowler, who served half of a six-month prison sentence and was banned for five years for deliberately bowling no-balls against England at the same ground in 2010, was unlucky not to mark his first spell back with a wicket.
He was treated to a few shouts of ‘no-ball’ from the crowd after his first delivery, but his return to Pakistan’s bowling attack otherwise passed largely without incident.
Earlier, England all-rounder Chris Woakes notched his first five-wicket Test haul to restrict the visitors to a first innings total of 339.
Woakes, who ended the innings with figures of 6-70, struck twice in the same over to pick up the wickets of Sarfraz Ahmed and Wahab Riaz, and leave the visitors reeling.
Sarfraz, who was just starting to cut loose, smashed a shortish delivery straight down the throat of James Vince at backward point before Woakes struck again almost immediately.
He sent a lovely ball veering past the edge of the incoming Riaz’s bat, before splaying the stumps with his next delivery to send the batsman back to the pavilion with a duck.
Stuart Broad bowled Misbahul Haq in the next over to leave Pakistan on 316 for nine, and the skipper walked off to an ovation from the ground in recognition of his fine knock.
The 42-year-old became the oldest player in 82 years to score a test century Thursday with an unbeaten 110, but finished on 114 after adding just four runs Friday.
Broad then enticed Amir, who was greeted with a ripple of applause as he came out to bat, to edge the ball to Joe Root at slip on 12, as he finished the first innings on 3-71.
Broad, who smashed his highest Test score of 169 in that 2010 series, gave a smile but did not speak to Amir who was Pakistan’s last man out.
The tourists drew blood soon after the changeover when England opener Alex Hales edged an impeccable outswinger from Rahat Ali to Azhar Ali at third slip in the second over.
That brought an early introudction for Joe Root, whose elevation to No. 3 dominated headlines in the build-up.
It was England captain Alastair Cook, though, who made the brighter start, finding the boundary three times in a single over from Rahat to race to 35 from 31 deliveries.
Cook rode his luck at times and was fortunate to survive being dropped by Mohammad Hafeez in the seventh over to deny Amir a wicket on his return.
