By Shwet Tripathi3 min read
Pakistan opener Azan Awais registered an unwanted record during the first Test against England at Headingley after being dismissed on the very first ball of the match.
It was a rare sight in Test cricket, and for Pakistan, it happened after a gap of 43 years.
England pacer Ollie Robinson delivered the opening ball of the Test and trapped Azan Awais lbw for a golden duck. Pakistan therefore lost their first wicket without a single run on the board.
The Azan Awais first-ball dismissal brought back memories of a similar incident involving former Pakistan opener Mohsin Khan in 1983.
Azan Awais First-Ball Dismissal Comes After 43 Years
Azan Awais became the first Pakistan batter in 43 years to be dismissed on the opening delivery of a Test match.
The last Pakistani batter to suffer the same fate was Mohsin Khan against India in 1983.
During the India-Pakistan Test at Jalandhar in September 1983, legendary Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev dismissed Mohsin Khan lbw with the very first delivery of the match.
Interestingly, that was also the first ball ever bowled in a Test match at Jalandhar.
Now, 43 years later, the unwanted record has been repeated.
Pakistan batters dismissed on the first ball of a Test match:
1983: Mohsin Khan – lbw b Kapil Dev – Pakistan vs India, Jalandhar
2026: Azan Awais – lbw b Ollie Robinson – England vs Pakistan, Headingley
Ollie Robinson produces a rare moment by taking a wicket on the 1st ball against Pakistan in 2026—mirroring the legendary Kapil Dev, who achieved the exact same feat back in 1983🔥
1983: Kapil Dev vs Pakistan (1st ball wicket) 🇮🇳
2026: Ollie Robinson vs Pakistan (1st ball… pic.twitter.com/I484N1fwOQ— CricInformer (@CricInformer) August 19, 2026
Ollie Robinson Gives England a Dream Start
Robinson could hardly have asked for a better start. Bowling the opening delivery of the Test, the England pacer got the ball to move back into the left-handed Azan Awais.
The Pakistan opener was caught in front of the stumps and given out lbw, leaving the visitors at 0 for 1.
The early wicket immediately put Pakistan under pressure in challenging conditions at Headingley.
Things soon became even more difficult for the visitors as England’s pace attack continued to trouble the Pakistan batting order.
A Rare Record in Test Cricket
Getting dismissed on the first ball of a Test match is one of the rarer unwanted records in international cricket.
Before Azan Awais, Pakistan’s previous instance came through Mohsin Khan in 1983. Kapil Dev trapped him lbw before Pakistan had even managed to open their account.
Several international batters have suffered the same fate over the years, but for Pakistan, it had not happened for more than four decades.
The Azan Awais first-ball dismissal will therefore find its place in Pakistan’s Test record books, although it is certainly a record the young opener would have preferred to avoid.
For Ollie Robinson and England, however, it was the perfect way to start the Test — a wicket from the very first delivery and immediate pressure on Pakistan.