PAK vs ENG: England sets new record for most runs scored in opening session of  Test

RAWALPINDI: Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett punished Pakistan on a batting-friendly pitch Thursday as England raced to 174 without loss on the opening day of the first Test in Rawalpindi.

Crawley was unbeaten on 91 and Duckett 77 at lunch after England won a good toss and maintained their recent aggressive style, dubbed "Bazball" after the nickname of head coach Brendon McCullum. England broke the record of 158 by India against Afghanistan (27 overs) for the most runs scored in the opening session of a Test match. 

Ben Duckett scored a maiden century to match fellow opener Zak Crawley's ton as England put Pakistan to the sword on the opening day of the first Test in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

The 28-year-old left-hander pulled Pakistan paceman Haris Rauf for a boundary to reach the three-figure mark but was out for 107 a few balls later to off-spinner Zahid Mahmood.

The milestone for Duckett came in his first Test in six years, after he debuted against Bangladesh in 2016 but was discarded after scoring just 110 runs in four matches.

Earlier, 24-year-old Crawley drove Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah to the cover boundary to reach his third Test century in his 29th match, but not before overturning a leg-before decision via review.

The lanky (six-foot-five) batsman showed his intent right from the start of the match, hitting three boundaries off Naseem's first over of the day, and bringing up his half-century with another off Zahid Mahmood.

He narrowly missed the chance to become the first England batsman to score a century before lunch, falling nine short.

Seven England batsmen, including current captain Ben Stokes, have scored a century before lunch in a Test -- but none on the first day.

England's robust batting was the ideal start to the Test -- their first in Pakistan in 17 years -- after it hung in the balance Wednesday when several visiting players came down with a mystery virus.

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RAWALPINDI: Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett punished Pakistan on a batting-friendly pitch Thursday as England raced to 174 without loss on the opening day of the first Test in Rawalpindi. Crawley was unbeaten on 91 and Duckett 77 at lunch after England won a good toss and maintained their recent aggressive style, dubbed "Bazball" after the nickname of head coach Brendon McCullum. England broke the record of 158 by India against Afghanistan (27 overs) for the most runs scored in the opening session of a Test match.  Ben Duckett scored a maiden century to match fellow opener Zak Crawley's ton as England put Pakistan to the sword on the opening day of the first Test in Rawalpindi on Thursday. The 28-year-old left-hander pulled Pakistan paceman Haris Rauf for a boundary to reach the three-figure mark but was out for 107 a few balls later to off-spinner Zahid Mahmood. The milestone for Duckett came in his first Test in six years, after he debuted against Bangladesh in 2016 but was discarded after scoring just 110 runs in four matches. Earlier, 24-year-old Crawley drove Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah to the cover boundary to reach his third Test century in his 29th match, but not before overturning a leg-before decision via review. The lanky (six-foot-five) batsman showed his intent right from the start of the match, hitting three boundaries off Naseem's first over of the day, and bringing up his half-century with another off Zahid Mahmood. He narrowly missed the chance to become the first England batsman to score a century before lunch, falling nine short. Seven England batsmen, including current captain Ben Stokes, have scored a century before lunch in a Test -- but none on the first day. England's robust batting was the ideal start to the Test -- their first in Pakistan in 17 years -- after it hung in the balance Wednesday when several visiting players came down with a mystery virus. ALSO WATCH |