Razaullah: “I Was Just Enjoying Myself” After Record-Breaking 81 at Edgbaston

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Razaullah smashed 81 off 63 balls with nine sixes, a joint record for a Test debutant, dragging Pakistan from the brink of an innings defeat to giving England a real fourth-innings target
• His nine sixes equal Tim Southee’s record for most sixes by a debutant, and matches Ben Stokes’s record for most sixes in an innings in England
• He found out about his Pakistan call-up during Fajr prayers, having gone home from an NCA camp believing he was preparing for the Asian Games instead

Razaullah’s Test debut had already produced a five-wicket first innings and two wickets more on Day 2. Nobody was prepared for what he did with the bat.

He scored 81 off 63 balls, striking nine sixes, a joint record for a debutant in Test history. It took Pakistan from staring down an innings defeat to handing England a fourth-innings target that actually meant something. And through all of it, he was smiling.

“I enjoyed the standing ovation,” Razaullah said afterward, grinning at the press conference. “I like to enjoy life and I was relishing the moment.”

A 21-Year-Old Debutant Just Outbowled England’s Entire Attack

From Fajr Prayers to a Test Call-Up

Razaullah’s route to Edgbaston started with a phone call he wasn’t expecting. “I was at the NCA for the camp and then I went home,” he explained. “The next day, I received a call while I was praying Fajr. They asked me to come to Lahore, but I didn’t know what it was about.”

He had assumed the call was about the Asian Games. “Previously, they had told me to be ready for the Asian Games. So I went to the NCA with that in mind, and then I found out that I was going to England.”

Weeks later, he was walking out at No. 9 in a Test match against an England attack that had dismantled every recognised Pakistan batter across the series.

Taking On Archer, Atkinson and Tongue Head-On

Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue had spent the series troubling Babar Azam and the rest of Pakistan’s top order with short-pitched bowling. Razaullah met the same tactic with something nobody else in the side had shown: total lack of fear.

“I was being selective with which balls to slog, but they all seemed within range,” he said. “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.”

The contact was hard enough that he broke two bats during the innings. At least eight of his sixes came off identifiable deliveries: one off Josh Tongue, four off Gus Atkinson, two off Jofra Archer, and one off Dan Lawrence. For long stretches, England’s fielders became spectators, watching the ball sail past them rather than toward them.

“My favourite ball to face is the short ball,” Razaullah said. “I just believed in myself. I thought if I played 50 balls, I’d get a positive result. And thankfully that happened.”

The Records

• Joint record for the highest score by a Test debutant batting at No. 9, level with Corbin Bosch
• Joint record for most sixes by a Test debutant, level with Tim Southee
• Joint record for most sixes in a single Test innings in England, level with Ben Stokes

Three genuine records in a single innings, from a bowler who wasn’t in the Test squad a month earlier.

From First-Class Opener to Test No. 9

Razaullah’s route into batting is itself a story worth telling. Playing for Peshawar in first-class cricket, he made an unbeaten 58 batting lower down the order and asked his coach if he could try opening the innings instead. He was sent in at the top and scored a century.

Edgbaston was a completely different proposition, a Test debut, a different continent, and a bowling attack that had made batting look close to impossible for Pakistan’s specialists across five previous innings. He treated it the same way anyway.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many runs did Razaullah score on Test debut? Razaullah scored 81 off 63 balls, batting at No. 9, including nine sixes.

What records did Razaullah break or match? He equalled the record for most sixes by a Test debutant (level with Tim Southee), the highest score by a debutant at No. 9 (level with Corbin Bosch), and the most sixes in a single Test innings in England (level with Ben Stokes).

How did Razaullah find out he was selected for the England tour? He received a call while praying Fajr, having assumed he was being called up for the Asian Games instead.

Who did Razaullah hit his sixes off? At least eight were identified: one off Josh Tongue, four off Gus Atkinson, two off Jofra Archer, and one off Dan Lawrence.