Pair: Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley
(Picture: AP)It was only two and a half hours before play that England declared this match could go ahead after a virus swept through the camp yesterday, but some ferocious batting from openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett left the Pakistan bowlers feeling sick to their stomachs on the opening day of the tour.
A record-breaking opening partnership between Crawley and Duckett dominated the first day as England reached tea at 332-3 in Rawalpindi. The pair shared a 233-run-partnership that took just 35 overs to put together in yet another astonishing display of batting from this England side led by Brendon McCullum.
Crawley reached his third Test century in just 86 balls, the fastest ever by an English opener and the fourth fastest of all-time, whereas Duckett's maiden hundred took a total of 105 balls. Blisteringly quick when considered in the context of history, but a little sedate by the standard England set today.
That England had even made it to the game was cause for celebration in itself. It wasn’t until 7:30am local time that it was confirmed England would take the field after a virus that had swept through the camp had threatened to postpone the fixture for 24 hours.
England were, however, forced into one change with wicketkeeper Ben Foakes not fit enough to take the field. He was replaced in the XI by debutant Will Jacks in a move that meant Ollie Pope would keep wicket for just the second time in 31 appearances.
But for all the uncertainty in the build-up to this fixture, England under McCullum once again made the incredible seem ordinary.
Where Crawley pulled and drove Pakistan’s seamers with disdain, Duckett swept their spinners to the point of mercy. The pair added 174 by the time lunch came at more than six an over. It was the most runs scored by a team in the opening session of a Test in history as Crawley went to lunch on 91 from 79 balls and Duckett on 77 off 85.
The two took on from where they left off in the afternoon session. But it wasn’t without a scare. In the second over after lunch, with Crawley on 99, he was given LBW off the bowling of Naseem Shah, the Rawalpindi Stadium leaping into life for the first time as his partner Duckett dropped to his haunches in disbelief. Crawley reviewed out of hope more than expectation and was given a reprieve when replays showed the ball was narrowly missing leg-stump.
Two balls later and Crawley would bring up his three-figures with yet another commanding drive into the offside. His celebration was one of relief; that of his team-mates in the dressing room one of jubilation.
Not to miss out on the action, Duckett joined him shortly after as he brought up his maiden Test century in his first match back in the side after six years.
Duckett and Crawley’s fun would come to an end however, both falling in consecutive overs.
First, Duckett departed for 107 as he went to reverse sweep once more off the bowling of Zahid Mahmood and was given out on review, before Crawley was clean bowled by Haris Rauf on debut the following over.
But any threat of a Pakistan comeback was short lived, as Ollie Pope and Joe Root went after the leg spin of Mahmood to bring up a fifty partnership in 55 balls.
Mahmood would strike again to claim the wicket of Root for 23, the former England captain missing a conventional sweep to be trapped LBW. Consolation for Mahmood who had spent the day experiencing one of the more chastening Test debuts. In 19 overs, Mahmood had conceded 127 runs.
Runs have rarely seemed as easy to come by and despite Pakistan taking three afternoon wickets England had added another 158 runs to their total by tea. The run-rate only dipped below a run-a-ball for the first time in the match in the 53rd over of the day, a wrong that was quickly righted by Harry Brook who launched the first six of the game into the stands as he went into tea on 22 not out and with Pope unbeaten on 48.
A dream day for England, but a nightmare for a Pakistan side containing four debutants and missing their premier bowler in Shaheen Shah Afridi. Since Test cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019, matches have been attritional, slow scoring affairs. Then England arrived.
