Finally, something good has come out of Pakistan’s shocking decision to upend the entire squad and the coaching department after two losses in the England Test series.
Razaullah, the 21-year-old fast bowler, scripted history on his Test debut in the final match at Edgbaston by scoring 81 off 63 balls while batting at number nine. He hit nine sixes and four boundaries in the knock, equalling the world record for the most sixes on career debut. New Zealand pacer Tim Southee was the last to do it against England in Napier in 2008 and remained alone at the summit for 18 years.
Most sixes on Test debut:
| Player | Country | Runs | Sixes | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Southee | New Zealand | 77* | 9 | England | Napier | 22 Mar 2008 |
| Razaullah | Pakistan | 81 | 9 | England | Birmingham | 9 Sep 2026 |
| Kyle Mayers | West Indies | 210* | 7 | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 3 Feb 2021 |
| Michael Clarke | Australia | 151 | 4 | India | Bengaluru | 6 Oct 2004 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan | 87 | 4 | Bangladesh | Chattogram | 5 Sep 2019 |
| Kyle Jamieson | New Zealand | 44 | 4 | India | Wellington | 21 Feb 2020 |
| Luigi Pretorius | South Africa | 153 | 4 | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 28 Jun 2025 |
| Dewald Brevis | South Africa | 51 | 4 | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 28 Jun 2025 |
| Brendon Taylor | New Zealand | 105 | 3 | India | Eden Gardens | 5 Mar 1965 |
| Gordon Greenidge | West Indies | 93 | 3 | India | Bengaluru | 22 Nov 1974 |
| Zander de Bruyn | South Africa | 83 | 3 | India | Kanpur | 20 Nov 2004 |
This was the joint-most runs scored by a debutant batting at number nine, ever, level with South Africa’s Corbin Bosch, who scored 81 not out against Pakistan in 2024.
Most runs
while batting at number nine on Test debut:
| Player | Country | Runs | Balls Faced | Fours | Sixes | Strike Rate | Innings | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corbin Bosch | South Africa | 81* | 93 | 15 | 0 | 87.09 | 2 | Pakistan | Centurion | 26 Dec 2024 |
| Razaullah | Pakistan | 81 | 63 | 4 | 9 | 128.57 | 3 | England | Birmingham | 9 Sep 2026 |
| Ramesh Mendis Rathnayaka | Sri Lanka | 72 | 135 | 6 | 2 | 53.33 | 1 | England | Manchester | 21 Aug 2024 |
| Balwinder Sandhu | India | 71 | 88 | 9 | 2 | 80.68 | 2 | Pakistan | Hyderabad (Sind) | 14 Jan 1983 |
| Devon Gough | England | 65 | 126 | 10 | 0 | 51.58 | 1 | New Zealand | Manchester | 30 Jun 1994 |
| Makhaya Zondeki | South Africa | 59 | 128 | 10 | 0 | 46.09 | 1 | England | Leeds | 21 Aug 2003 |
| Winston Ferguson | West Indies | 56* | – | – | 0 | – | 3 | England | Bridgetown | 21 Jan 1948 |
| Tommy Matthews | Australia | 53 | 93 | 5 | 0 | 56.98 | 3 | England | Adelaide | 12 Jan 1912 |
| Charles Vincent | South Africa | 53 | – | – | 0 | – | 3 | England | Johannesburg | 24 Dec 1927 |
| John Lever | England | 53 | 194 | 6 | 0 | 27.31 | 1 | India | Delhi | 17 Dec 1976 |
Pakistan started their second innings with a 320-run deficit. Azan Awais, Shan Masood and Babar Azam scored fifties in the top five to restore some balance, but when Razaullah came to bat, the innings was at 312/7, with England still holding the lead.
But the pacer counter-attacked brilliantly and strung together a nearly run-a-ball 121-run partnership with fellow tailender Mohammad Abbas to bring Pakistan into the lead. He got out in the 97th over, stumped to spinner Dan Lawrence, but had helped Pakistan set a target of 130 runs for the hosts.
“I was selecting my shots,” Razaullah said at the end of the day’s play. “My plan was to take it longer and deeper. They bowled in my slot, so I was looking to capitalize. I broke both my bats. I wasn’t scared at all. Once I came out here, obviously, when a person plays for his country, there is no question of being afraid. I was just enjoying everything,” he added.
