RAWALPINDI: England batters baton-charged Pakistan in the Rawalpindi Test as they raised a record 506 runs – the highest by any team on the first day of a Test match – for the loss of just four wickets before stumps on the opening day of the first Test, here on Thursday.
Four of the England batters smashed centuries as the touring party minted out runs at a brisk run rate of 6.74 throughout the day.
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett led the charge of England’s assault on a batting-friendly wicket as the opening duo scored a century each before Ollie Pope and Harry Brook wreaked havoc in the final session with their respective hundreds.
Opting to bat first, England’s opening pair capitalized on the favourable batting conditions to the full extent as they attacked the hosts with a brisk stand of 233 runs before spinner Zahid Mehmood earned the viral breakthrough for Pakistan, dismissing Duckett in the second session.
Duckett scored his maiden Test hundred on his return to the England red-ball side after six years. He played a sensational knock of 110-ball 107, including 15 boundaries.
Crawley, on the other hand, raised his third Test century just after Lunch and looked in sublime touch before debutant Haris Rauf castled him down, taking his first international wicket of the format.
Pope and Brook, however, stitched another strong 176-run partnership on the fourth wicket after Joe Root’s dismissal. Pope remained phenomenal with a remarkable 104-ball 108 before while Brook raced to his first Test century in just 80 balls.
England skipper Ben Stokes played a superb cameo later in the day as he made quick fire 34 off 15 balls before stumps with Brook on the other end.
Pakistan bowlers, on the other hand, looked hapless before England’s batting assault as Naseem Shah remained wicketless along with part-timers Agha Salman and Saud Shakeel, who was charged with six consecutive sixes in the 68th over by Brook.
Despite taking two wickets, Mehmood remained expensive as he conceded 169 runs in 23 overs.
Debutants Haris Rauf and Mohammad Ali also took a scalp each while they maintained an economy of over six.
Earlier, the decision to commence the historic Test as per its original schedule only came out early in the morning as uncertainty had prevailed throughout the other day after several players of the England camp fell ill.
