Rehan Ahmed made an impressive start to his England career, picking up 2-89 against Pakistan in Karachi after breaking a 73-year-old record.
At 18 years and 126 days old, Ahmed is England's youngest ever men's Test cricketer, breaking a record set by former captain Brian Close back in 1949. After an expensive opening spell which saw him concede except 37 runs from five overs, the teenager grew in confidence after the lunch break and picked up the wickets of Saud Shakeel and Faheem Ashraf.
England seamer Stuart Broad, missing this tour on paternity leave after his fiancee Mollie King gave birth to the couple's first child, was greatly encouraged by Ahmed's performance and described it as "a really exciting day for English cricket"
"It's awesome," Broad said on Sky Sports. "Ahmed's bowled two great balls to get his Test poles. He started off a bit nervous, as you'd expect as he's not got a huge bank of experience and a lot of players start off a bit wobbly in Test cricket.
"He was handled well and came back well. It's a magical moment when you pick up any Test-match wicket, especially your first, and as the day went on he got better and better. He bowled more wicket-taking opportunity balls and was turning the ball a long way.
"It looks like his googly turns a little bit more than his leg-spinner which people will begin to learn the further he goes in his career. Some of the most exciting things in Test-match cricket are high pace and leg-spin, and that was a really exciting day for English cricket."
Former England captain Michael Atherton was also hugely impressed with the youngster, praising both his attitude and temperament. He told Sky Sports : "The first thing you look for when somebody makes their debut is how did they take to it?
"I think we can all imagine what he was feeling... but he quickly settled and got better throughout the day. As far as the cricket goes, he's obviously got a very natural googly.
"That's a consequence of his action...and it's very easy for him to bowl the googly. It spins a lot, he lands it well and it's a very dangerous ball to right and left-handers over and around the wicket.
"He's only 18, so you kind of have to keep your expectations down a bit and remember he's almost having to learn his trade at the highest level. Temperament is the big thing...and he looks temperamentally sound."
