Malahide: Ireland enjoyed a mixed first day of action in their maiden Test, reducing Pakistan to 159 for six before the visitors fought back here at The Village.
Boyd Rankin wrote his name in Irish cricket history as he had Azhar Ali caught at slip to claim their first Test wicket.
The Ireland seamers were on top for much of the first two sessions, with Rankin, Tim Murtagh and Stuart Thompson claiming two wickets each.
However, Pakistan recovered, courtesy maiden Test fifties by Shadab Khan (52 batting) and debutant Faheem Ashraf (61 batting), both of whom shared an unbeaten stand of 109 for the seventh wicket to take their side to 268 for six when bad light and rain curtailed play midway through the evening session.
After the first day of the one-off Test got washed out, the sun was shining on the second morning as Ireland won the toss and opted to bowl, rocking Pakistan with two wickets in as many balls as the visitors had managed just 13 runs then.
Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail battled through to lunch, but the start of the afternoon session put Ireland right on top, with Thompson accounting for Sohail, Murtagh dismissing Babar Azam (14) and just as the pressure seemed to be easing, Shafiq (62) pulled a Rankin bouncer straight to Andrew Balbirnie at square leg.
Captain Sarfraz Ahmed (20) appeared to be giving the Ireland players catching practice as he guided Thompson's rising delivery to second slip, but his exit brought Shadab and Faheem together.
Shadab, playing just his second Test, looked the more assured and Faheem was fortunate on a number of occasions, not least when he was dropped twice in the slip cordon. But together, they led Pakistan out of trouble.
Pakistan
1st Innings
A. Ali c Porterfield b Rankin 4
I. Haq lbw Murtagh 7
H. Sohail c P'field b Thompson 31
A. Shafiq c Balbirnie b Rankin 62
B. Azam c Stirling b Murtagh 14
S. Ahmed c Stirling b Thompson 20
S. Khan batting 52
F. Ashraf batting 61
Extras (b-1, lb-10, nb-4, w-2) 17
Total (6 wickets; 76 overs) 268
Fall of wickets 1/13, 2/13, 3/71, 4/104, 5/153, 6/159
Bowling: Murtagh 17-4-33-2, Rankin 17-3-58-2, Kane 18-2-84-0, Thompson 16-2-51-2, Kevin 6-1-20-0, Stirling 2-0-11-0
