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Ireland bowl in inaugural Test against Pakistan

Dublin - Ireland's first ever men's Test against Pakistan finally got under way at Dublin's Malahide ground on Saturday, with home captain William Porterfield winning the toss and electing to field. 

Rain washed out the whole of Friday's scheduled first day but a day later Malahide was bathed in sunshine, with grey clouds replaced by sunny blue skies as Ireland, from the moment of the toss, officially became the 11th nation to play men's Test cricket. 

Ireland left out spinner Andy McBrine, with Stuart Thompson completing an all-pace attack led by Boyd Rankin, who played one Test for England before requalifying, and experienced Middlesex seamer Tim Murtagh. 

Pakistan gave Test debuts to opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq and medium-pacer Faheem Ashraf. 

Imam is the nephew of Pakistan selection chief and former Test batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq and his inclusion in the squad provoked allegations of nepotism. 

But the 22-year-old left-hander, who hit a hundred on his one-day international debut against Sri Lanka last year, has made fifties against both Kent and Northamptonshire in Pakistan's two warm-up matches ahead of this one-off Test. 

After this match, Pakistan will return across the Irish Sea for a two-Test series against England.

Teams

Ireland

William Porterfield (captain), Ed Joyce, Andrew Balbirnie, Niall O'Brien (wkt), Paul Stirling, Kevin O'Brien, Gary Wilson, Stuart Thompson, Tyrone Kane, Boyd Rankin, Tim Murtagh

Pakistan

Azhar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain/wkt), Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Abbas, Rahat Ali

Umpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG), Nigel Llong (ENG)

TV umpire: Mark Hawthorne (IRL)

Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

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