Razaullah announced himself on the Test stage in emphatic fashion, scoring 81 off 63 balls with nine sixes on debut to help Pakistan post 449 in their second innings of the third Test against England at Edgbaston. The innings pushed the match into a fourth day, with England needing 130 runs to win.
The 21-year-old came to the crease with Pakistan in a precarious position at 318/8 in their third innings, having resumed Day 3 on 56/2. He then shared a 121-run ninth-wicket partnership with Mohammad Abbas, who contributed 42 runs, to take Pakistan to a total that gave their bowlers something to defend.
In the first innings of the same match, Razaullah had scored only 11 runs as Pakistan were bowled out for 133. His second-innings effort was therefore a remarkable turnaround on debut. He was eventually dismissed stumped off the bowling of Dan Lawrence in the final over of the day. Along with his batting exploits, he was also effective with the ball, taking four wickets with the ball, including his maiden scalp being that of England captain Joe Root.
How did Razaullah’s innings compare to Test debut records?
Razaullah’s nine sixes in the innings matched the record for the most sixes hit by any player on Test debut, equalling the mark set by Tim Southee. He also became only the second Pakistan batter to score a fifty on Test debut while batting at number nine or lower, following Rashid Khan, who made 59 against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 1982. Razaullah revealed that he broke two bats during the course of his innings, underlining the force with which he struck the ball. After his blistering knock, he was given a standing ovation by the Edgbaston crowd, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
“I enjoyed the standing ovation. I like to enjoy life and I was relishing the moment,” Razaullah said, speaking in the post-match press conference, as quoted by Cricinfo.
What did Razaullah say about facing England’s pace attack?
Razaullah faced England’s pace bowlers without any apparent hesitation throughout his knock. He was selective in his approach and targeted deliveries that he felt were within his range, including those from Jofra Archer. Razaullah was direct about his mindset at the crease and revealed his method for handling the short ball.
“I was being selective with which balls to slog, but they all seemed within range. I wanted to take it as deep as possible. I wasn’t scared of pace. I wanted to punish the balls from Archer that landed on a hard length. There’s nothing to be scared of when you’re playing for your country. I was just enjoying myself. My favourite ball [to face] is the short ball. I just believed in myself. I thought if I played 50 balls, I’d get a positive result. And thankfully that happened,” he said.
