Razaullah, Pakistan’s No 9 batter, enjoyed a record-breaking outing on Day three of the third Test against England at Birmingham’s Edgbaston on Friday. Razaullah slammed 81 runs from 63 deliveries, hitting four fours and nine sixes to help Pakistan post 449 in their second innings and build a lead of 129 runs.
Razaullah came to the crease at No. 9 with struggling at 318/8. What followed was an extraordinary lower-order assault as the 21-year-old struck four fours and nine sixes before being dismissed in the final over of the day.
His nine sixes equalled the record for the most sixes by a batter in a Test innings in England. captain Ben Stokes had also hit nine sixes against Australia at Lord’s during the 2023 Ashes series.
Razaullah’s nine maximums also equalled the record for the most sixes by a batter on Test debut. New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee had previously held the record after hitting nine sixes against England in Napier in 2008.
The Pakistan fast bowler also established a national record for the fastest half-century by a batter from his country on Test debut. He reached his fifty from just 43 balls, surpassing the previous Pakistan mark of 52 balls, set by Faheem Ashraf against Ireland in 2018.
Razaullah’s assault came alongside Mohammad Abbas, with the pair adding 121 runs for the ninth wicket. Abbas contributed 42, his highest score in Test cricket, including two sixes.
The partnership took Pakistan from 318 for eight to 439 for nine and became the highest ninth-wicket partnership against England since 1984.
The nine sixes from Razaullah and two from also produced a rare lower-order statistic. The 11 sixes hit by Pakistan’s Nos. 9, 10 and 11 were reported as the first time in Test history that batters occupying those three positions had collectively hit 11 sixes in an innings.
Razaullah eventually fell for 81, stumped by Jordan Cox off Dan Lawrence, bringing Pakistan’s second innings to an end at 449. The visitors therefore established a lead of 129 and left England needing 130 runs to win the third Test and complete a 3-0 series sweep.
Razaullah had already made an impact with the ball earlier in the match, taking four wickets in England’s first innings, including the wicket of captain Joe Root.
His 81 completed a debut in which he became the first Pakistan batter to score a fifty on Test debut in fewer than 50 balls.
