Now is the time to show who I am Ajan on his century day

The joy was incomplete for Pakistan despite a dream debut for Ajan Awais in the Mirpur Test. Making his first appearance in whites, Ajan produced a brilliant innings with the bat, but his side could not fully seize control of the match. Bangladesh ended the third day slightly ahead after gaining a small first-innings lead, setting up a finely balanced contest heading into day four.

Ajan Awais was the centre of attention throughout the day. The young Pakistani batter marked his Test debut with a century, announcing his arrival on the international stage in style.

Speaking at the press conference after the day’s play, Ajan shared his emotions about the milestone. He described scoring a hundred on debut as something truly special, admitting he did feel nervous at the start but managed to settle quickly.

“Difficult feeling. I scored a century for my country in my debut match, it feels amazing. When I was going out to bat, I was a bit nervous. But Alhamdulillah, I managed to perform well.”

He also highlighted the importance of partnerships in his innings, particularly those with Abdullah Fazal and Imam-ul-Haq. According to him, batting alongside experienced players boosted his confidence, and their guidance played a key role in his performance.

“They gave me a lot of confidence. I built good partnerships with both of them for the team. Especially Imam bhai gave me a lot of confidence. He shared his experience. I really enjoyed that.”

Reflecting on the match situation, Ajan remained optimistic about Pakistan’s chances. He felt the team had batted well in the first innings and believed they could improve further in the second innings based on the plans discussed with the captain.

“It’s a good match. We batted well in the first innings. The captain spoke to us a lot about batting, and hopefully we can apply those things in the second innings, Insha’Allah.”

Ajan also showed remarkable composure against the pace of Nahid Rana. Two short-pitched deliveries struck his helmet, but he insisted he did not lose confidence. Instead, he saw it as a moment to prove himself.

“I didn’t really feel nervous when the ball hit my helmet. I was zoned out for about five minutes. Then I thought, now is the time to show who I am (laughs).”

He celebrated his century calmly, without much emotion, but described it as a deeply meaningful moment. Ajan said the achievement reflected years of hard work and sacrifice, and his family was equally delighted.

“I just celebrated normally. It was a great moment for me. Everyone in my family is very happy. I’ve spoken to them a lot over the year. Now that I’ve scored a hundred, they are very happy. It’s a special moment for them as well.”

The batter also spoke about his journey to the national side, revealing the long grind in domestic cricket before earning his opportunity. He described playing Test cricket as a dream come true.

“I played 33 first-class matches in the last one and a half years. I performed well there. Playing Test cricket was like a dream for me. Then I got a chance in the camp, spoke with the coaches, and got the opportunity to fulfil my dream and tried to make the most of it.”

Talking about the Mirpur surface, Ajan said he was already familiar with similar conditions from domestic cricket. While he admitted there was some pressure at the start, he managed to adapt and focus on helping his team.

“I tried to play here the way I play in domestic cricket on green wickets. I have played with the Duke ball on green wickets before. But of course, it was international cricket, so there was some pressure at the beginning. I tried to handle everything and take the team to a good position.”