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It wasn’t a question of if – it was always going to be when. England have become the first team to score 500 on the opening day of a Test match, breaking an Australian record that has stood since 1910, finishing on a new world record score of 4-506 at stumps on the first day in Rawalpindi.
They have been threatening this for a while: since Brendan McCullum took over as coach the Ashes debacle, England have played with the sort of attacking abandon that has made this kind of score likely.
Previously, that had been shown in chases. England hauled New Zealand and India, who contested the last World Test Championship Final, with fourth innings efforts that pushed 300 (and once exceeded it) with ease.
Yet this was not a given. England were in Pakistan for the first time since 2005 and had suffered an outbreak of illness in the camp that almost caused the first day to be delayed.
In the end, they got on the field, and once they did, the fireworks started immediately.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook all reached three figures as England racked up 4-506, obliterating the first-day record that had stood since Australia’s 494 against South Africa in 1910.
It was also the first time four batters had scored tons on the opening day, with Crawley hitting the fastest Test hundred by an England opener and Duckett and Brook compiling their first in Tests.
Crawley needed only 86 balls to bring up his century, which came shortly after lunch, and he hopes England can continue where they left off.
“No, I’ve never seen a day like that,” the disbelieving 24-year-old said. “It was unbelievable. Ducky batted fantastically and so did the other two boys. Hopefully we can go again tomorrow, get a big one and get a thousand – I’m joking!”
Crawley and Duckett put on a mammoth 233, the fastest double-century stand in Test history, for the first wicket, with the latter bringing up his own maiden century in the format from 108 balls on his recall to the side after a six-year absence.
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Duckett was one of the players struggling with a viral infection which briefly threatened to cause the game to be postponed by 24 hours on the eve of the match and admitted it was less-than-ideal preparation.
“It all happened really fast, towards the end of Tuesday night it just came on,” the Nottinghamshire opener said.
“I felt fine going to bed and I found out the next morning that there were about 13 or 14 others, so not the best build up to a Test match and certainly not the best for me in my first one back for six years.
“But it would have had to have taken a lot for me not to come to the ground today and play. Stokesy (captain Ben Stokes) said, ‘Let’s get out there and let’s take them on’.
“I think if the game was yesterday it would have been tough, but I think the lads have all done pretty well today.
“The energy levels probably weren’t the highest this morning, I think there were some happy men when we won the toss and batted and gave our bowlers another day to rest up.”
Pope and Brook carried on in the afternoon session where the opening duo left off as England showed no signs of slowing down.
Pope played elegantly for a chanceless century, from 90 deliveries, while Brook briefly threatened to score the fastest Test century by an Englishman with an entertaining knock, including one memorable over in which he struck Saud Shakeel for six successive fours.
England compiled their massive total off just 75 overs when bad light kicked in, with the Yorkshire batter finishing the day unbeaten on 101 from 81 deliveries, while Stokes was on 34 from just 15.
“We’ve just been looking to score and be positive all the time and have a good attitude in the field and that’s been the biggest thing that Baz (coach Brendon McCullum) and Stokesy have brought in,” Crawley said.
“So that’s what we’re trying to do, more entertain the crowd than winning.
“Winning is great but part of our goal is to make people want to watch Test cricket. Hopefully that’s happening.”
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