A debutant fast bowler's extraordinary late innings of nine sixes has given Pakistan a glimmer of hope in the third Test against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, after three days of cricket that had otherwise pointed to a humiliating series whitewash for the tourists.
Razaullah arrived at the crease on Friday with Pakistan teetering at 318 for eight in their second innings, still 2 runs behind England's first-innings total and facing near-certain defeat. What followed was one of the more improbable performances in recent Test cricket: the debutant paceman clubbed nine sixes and four fours in an astonishing innings of 81 off just 63 balls, at one point hitting three consecutive sixes off Gus Atkinson. Fellow fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, whose previous best Test score was 29, contributed an equally unexpected 42, and the pair added 121 runs for the ninth wicket — a partnership that carried Pakistan to 439 all out. England will resume on Saturday needing 130 runs to complete a 3–0 series victory.
The day had not begun so brightly for Pakistan. Opener Azan Awais (59) and the experienced Shan Masood put on a solid partnership of 125, the best of the series for the struggling side, before both fell in frustrating fashion. Masood was dismissed for 95, just short of what would have been his eighth Test century, by a stunning slip catch from Dan Lawrence off Atkinson's bowling. Captain Babar Azam, returning from a hand injury that kept him out of the first Test, made a composed 76 before edging a Josh Tongue delivery to the gloves of stand-in wicketkeeper Jordan Cox, who finished the day with five catches.
The series has been a bruising one for Pakistan cricket. England dismissed them for a meagre 133 on the opening day of this match, then piled on 453 in reply. The previous two Tests ended in defeats by an innings and 103 runs, and by 194 runs respectively. The scale of the losses prompted dramatic action from team management: seven players were released and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed — the former Pakistan captain — along with assistant coach Umar Gul were sacked between the second and third Tests. Four changes were made to the squad for the Birmingham match.
While England remain overwhelming favourites to seal the clean sweep on Saturday, Razaullah's debut has at least provided Pakistan supporters with a moment of genuine excitement during a difficult tour. His final dismissal — stumped by Cox attempting an ambitious stroke off Lawrence, having already removed his helmet as a gesture of intent — drew applause from the Edgbaston crowd, a rare warm send-off for a touring lower-order batsman on the brink of defeat.