On 1 December 2022, the first match of the three-match Test series began in Rawalpindi between Pakistan and England. After a long gap of 17 years, it was the first Test series in Pakistan for England. However, reports were there that teh match can get delayed as 15 players from the England camp fall sick due to an unknown virus attack.
However, the match began as per schedule. A joint statement from the ECB and PCB said: "The ECB has informed the PCB that they are in a position to field an XI, and, as such, the first Test will commence as per schedule today (Thursday, 1 December) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium." Englandโs skipper, Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat first.ย
England scored 506 runs for four wickets in 75 overs against Pakistan on Day One of the Rawalpindi Test
Pakistan gave debut caps to four players. They were pacers Haris Rauf and Mohammad Ali, spinner Zahid Mahmood, and batsman Saud Shakeel. On the other hand, England handed a debut to Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks. For England, Ben Duckett and Jak Crawley came out to open the innings. They shared a stunning 233-run opening stand while they also recorded the fastest century stand for England in just 13.3 overs. Ben Duckett scored 107 runs off 110 balls. Along with him, Crawley scored 122 runs off 111 balls.ย
Then, Ollie Pope also smashed a hundred in the match. He scored 108 runs off 104 balls. After them, Harry Brook also scored a hundred in just 80 balls. Brook ended the day after scoring 101* runs off 81 balls. Thus, four different batters managed to score tons in a single day for England. All these contributions helped England to register 506 runs for four wickets in 75 overs on Day One. Due to bad light, play got stopped. However, England became the first team to score more than 500 runs on the first day of a Test match. After such a performance, Pakistani fans went berserk as they started to troll their Board and bowlers.
Here is how fans have reacted to the Day one between Pakistan and England in the first Test in Rawalpindi:
We want 1000! ๐คฃ
โ ๐ฃ๐ธ๐ถ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ (@ThomasVale1) December 1, 2022
Keep the records coming ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ#BBCCricket #PAKvENG https://t.co/v0Pmum6c4s
We will not play Test Cricket ~ PCB ๐๐๐#PAKvENG #PakistanCricket #
โ Marlboroclove (@Marlboro_clove) December 1, 2022
Bug was fantastic ๐ฆ #PAKvENG
โ The Furious Panda๐ผ (@imdeepak1229) December 1, 2022
This is now the most runs scored on Day 1 of a Test match in the history of cricket #PAKvENG #Cricket
โ UMAR MUHAMMAD (@Umar4888) December 1, 2022
#AUSvWI #PAKvENG #riturajgaikwad that old balance between bat and ball is now gone from #cricket so what you see are massacres of a very predictable and in many ways meaningless order
โ ninadsheth (@ninadsheth) December 1, 2022
@ Ramiz Raja#PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/xvK3xr4hIm
โ Zartash Khan (@izartashkhan) December 1, 2022
โ 1st team to score over 500 on Day 1
โ talkSPORT Cricket (@Cricket_TS) December 1, 2022
โ 1st team to have 4 batters hit centuries on Day 1
A record-breaking day for @englandcricket in Rawalpindi, closing on 506-4 off 75 overs. ๐
How would you sum up that performance? ๐ค #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/oDZbP9jSCR
World's best bowling attack goes for 500 runs in 75 overs of a Test match at their home conditions. Paxxtan. Pakistan at its peak. Hahahahaha #PAKvENG #PAKvsEng #PakistanCricket
โ Varchasv (@palash2291) December 1, 2022