Ben Stokes’s England broke several records against hosts Pakistan in the first Test of the 3-match series in Rawalpindi on Thursday. The game was termed as historic as the Three Lions came here to play a Test series after 17 years and left no stone unturned to make it a memorable one.
After opting to bat first, England made a mockery of Pakistan’s bowling attack with their ‘Baseball’ formula. The opening pair of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett used a dead Rawalpindi track beautifully, putting on 233 runs for the first wicket.
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Crawley completed his century, his third in Test cricket, off just 86 balls, to set the record for the fastest century by an English opening batsman in Test cricket. The duo scored 174 runs in the opening session, which is now the most by any team in the longest format of the game.
After lunch, the pair of Crawley and Duckett achieved another feat in the longest format of the game. He scored 200 runs on the board in 31scheduled tribe overs, 181 balls, this is the fastest double century stand in Test history. Duckett also brought up his maiden Test century off just 105 balls.
The hosts managed to dismantle England’s opening pair after some hard work, but that was not the end of their troubles. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ollie Pope was next in the field to score a century for the English camp. This was his third Test century and first on Pakistani soil.
In the final session, Harry Brook attacked Saud Shakeel, hitting the left-arm spinner for six boundaries in an over. With 24 runs in an over, the England No. 3 edged closer to his maiden Test century, which he achieved minutes before stumps.
Brook registered triple figures off 80 balls, setting the record for the third-fastest Test century for England, after Gilbert Jessup (76 deliveries) and Jonny Bairstow (77 deliveries). Brook was the fourth England batsman to score a century on the first day; A feat which has not been achieved by any Test playing nation till date.
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In the final over of the day, England passed the 500-run mark, the highlight of his power-packed batting display. The visitors were 506/4 at stumps, which is now the highest score by any team on the opening day of a Test match.
At the end of the first day’s play, Brook was unbeaten on 101 runs and was accompanied by captain Stokes (34* off 15 balls).
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