England Pulverise Pakistan, Become First Team To Score 500 Runs On Day 1 Of A Test
NDTV
Four English batsmen scored centuries as the tourists cantered to 506-4 at the close of play. The previous record for runs on the first day was the 494 Australia accumulated against South Africa in Sydney in 1910.
Four England batsmen scored hundreds Thursday as the visitors piled up a record 506-4 on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Openers Zak Crawley (122) and Ben Duckett (107) set the tone with quick-fire tons against a hapless Pakistan bowling attack before Ollie Pope (108)and Harry Brook (101 not out) compounded their misery. Ben Stokes was also not out, on 34, when bad light stopped play, having helped England break a 112-year-old record for the most runs on the first day of a Test -- beating Australia's 494-6 against South Africa at Sydney.
After winning the toss England went straight into "Bazball" mode, the brand of freewheeling, aggressive batting taken from the nickname of head coach Brendon McCullum.
England's fiery batting -- with 73 boundaries and three sixes -- lifted the gloom over the start, which hung in the balance Wednesday after several of the tourists came down with a mystery virus.
As if the punishment from the top three wasn't enough, Brook -- playing only his second Test -- cracked six consecutive boundaries off one over from debutant spinner Saud Shakeel.
He is only the fourth batsman to score six consecutive boundaries in a Test, following West Indians Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya.
