'I zoned out for five minutes': Debutant Azan recalls Nahid scare before century

From being struck on the helmet by Nahid Rana early in his innings to raising his bat for a century on Test debut, it was an eventful introduction to international cricket for Pakistan opener Azan Awais against Bangladesh.

The 21-year-old showed remarkable composure, discipline, and timely aggression to become Pakistan’s 14th player to score a century on Test debut. He also joined Taufeeq Umar in 2001 and Yasir Hameed in 2003 as only the third Pakistani batter to achieve the feat against Bangladesh on debut.

Resuming on his overnight score of 85 off 133 balls, Awais reached the milestone in the fifth over of Day 3. He removed his helmet, pumped his fist in celebration, and then performed Sajdah in gratitude.

Although he could not push on much further, eventually falling to Taskin Ahmed for 103 off 165 balls with 14 boundaries, Awais said the innings would remain one of the most memorable moments of his career.

“It is a very blessed feeling for me because I knew it was my debut match, and Alhamdulillah, I performed really well for my country. Especially when I was walking out to bat, I was a little bit nervous, but Alhamdulillah, I performed very well for my country,” Awais told reporters after the end of the third day’s play on Sunday.

The innings had nearly taken a frightening turn on Day 2 when Nahid Rana struck him on the helmet with a sharp delivery. But rather than unsettling him permanently, the incident appeared to strengthen his resolve.

“I was not nervous at that time, but when the ball hit my helmet, I zoned out a little bit for about five minutes. Then, I realized it was time to show them who I am,” he said while reflecting on the incident.

For a player making his first appearance at the highest level, Awais’ celebration after reaching three figures was notably restrained -- something he attributed to his personality and the emotion of the occasion.

“Because it was my first hundred and I am usually a very calm guy, I just did a normal celebration. It was a highly blessed moment for me, which is why I reacted that way,” he added.

Awais, who averaged 48.60 in 33 first-class matches before earning his maiden international cap, credited his domestic performances for preparing him for the challenge of Test cricket.

“Over the last one and a half years, I played 33 first-class matches and performed really well in domestic cricket. It has always been my dream to play Test cricket. When I was in the training camp, the coaches gave me a chance, and I realized that, Inshallah, my dream was coming true and I was achieving my goal,” said Awais, who made his first-class debut in 2024.

He also acknowledged the support of Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Fazal, both of whom shared century partnerships with him to give Pakistan a strong platform in reply to Bangladesh’s first-innings total of 413.

“They gave me a lot of confidence throughout the innings, and we built good partnerships for our team. Imam bhai, especially, gave me a lot of confidence and shared his experience. We had a strong partnership,” he said.

Despite Pakistan’s promising position, the visitors lost their last five wickets for just 37 runs and were bowled out for 386, handing Bangladesh a narrow 27-run first-innings lead. Bangladesh then reached seven without loss at stumps on a rain-hit third day to stretch their advantage to 34 runs.

Still, Awais remained confident that Pakistan could fight their way back into the contest.

“I think it is a good match because we played very well in the first innings and capitalised on everything while batting. Inshallah, we will restrict them in the second innings,” Awais added.