Razaullah's Record-Breaking Debut Ton-Up Drags Test Into Day Four at Edgbaston

Razaullah produced one of the most sensational Test debuts in recent memory, smashing 81 off 63 balls with nine sixes to drag Pakistan to 449 and force the series-deciding third Test against England into a fourth day at Edgbaston.

The 21-year-old walked out with Pakistan reeling at 318 for 8, still trailing and staring down another innings defeat. He brought up Pakistan's fastest-ever fifty on Test debut in just 43 balls, smashing back-to-back sixes off Jofra Archer, before continuing to target the boundary with remarkable clarity, striking three sixes off Gus Atkinson in the space of four balls. His nine maximums equalled Tim Southee's 18-year-old world record for most sixes hit by a player on Test debut, while also matching Ben Stokes' mark for most sixes in a Test innings on English soil. He shared a defiant 121-run ninth-wicket stand with Mohammad Abbas (42) before being stumped off Dan Lawrence, having briefly forgotten to review an earlier lbw decision.

Remarkably, the innings was merely the second act of an extraordinary debut. Razaullah had already made his mark with the ball in England's first innings, finishing with figures of 4 for 148, with his maiden Test wicket coming in the form of Joe Root himself. "That was simply sensational," said Sky Sports' commentary team. "A perfectly written first chapter of his Test career... He's come off the plane and has absolutely no baggage."

The rescue act, backed by fifties from Shan Masood (95), Babar Azam (76) and Azan Awais (59), leaves England needing 130 to complete a 3-0 series sweep on day four, a target well within reach but one that arrives only after Pakistan's most spirited display of an otherwise one-sided series.