Meet Razaullah, 21, the Pakistan debutant who stunned England with record sixes

Pakistan debutant Razaullah Mashwani's whirlwind 81 stunned the English crowd at Edgbaston on Friday. (AP Photo)

In the final batting innings of a tumultuous English Test tour, Pakistan got their act together. A dreadful pattern was being written from start to finish, beginning with Azan Awais’s duck off the first delivery of the series at Headingley three weeks ago.

Two losses and a massive mid-series overhaul involving seven players and two coaches had not brought immediate impact in the third Test, which began at Edgbaston on Wednesday.  Babar Azam’s side folded for a sub-200 total for the fifth successive innings on the opening day.

ALSO READ | PAK pacer Razaullah missed selectors call for Test pick, then dismissed Root on debut

When England met ‘Razball’

With England piling on 453 in the first innings, Pakistan fell 320 runs behind. The writing was on the wall. Or so it seemed until a plucky 21-year-old stood up and stood tall, earning a standing ovation from the Birmingham crowd before stumps on Friday. Flown in on quick notice after the axing of seven men post the Lord’s Test defeat, Razaullah Mashwani was thrown in straightaway for his international debut.

An outright quick, Razaullah held promise with the ball, but had profligacy for company. He dismissed England captain Joe Root leg-before with a 143-kpher off his fourth delivery in Test cricket, but leaked 148 runs for his next three wickets — an economy of 6.43 reading among the worst ever for a pacer in an innings.

All 8 sixes of Razaullah Today pic.twitter.com/3rsxElqoxw

— Jered William Jr. (@Jeredwilliam) September 11, 2026

Even at 312 for seven, Pakistan ran the danger of an innings defeat, but Razaullah still had chance to make amends. In the next 117 minutes at the crease, the youngster from Mardan, Peshawar, stifled the English pace attack with brute force. Gus Atkinson was sent packing with three consecutive sixes. Even the fiery Jofra Archer could not escape the long handle, walloped for three sixes in the 88th over as Pakistan hurtled past 400.

‘Enjoyed the standing ovation’

Clubbing nine sixes altogether, Razaullah equalled the Test cricket record for most sixes in an innings on debut. He joined New Zealand’s Tim Southee, another effective lower-order bat who eventually racked up 97 maximums in his career. While he fell short of what would have been an enthralling hundred, on 81, Razaullah ensured there was no meek surrender this time. Starting the fourth day, England will require 130 runs for a series sweep.

The knock may have stupefied English fans, but Razaullah was no novice with the bat. Among his eight First-Class caps since debut in November 2025, stands a special hundred for Peshawar while opening the innings.

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“I enjoyed the standing ovation,” Razaullah said with a smile at the press conference. “I like to enjoy life and I was relishing the moment.”

Standing ovation for Razaullah as he walks off pic.twitter.com/LpdxdAifnX

— PctMedia (@PctMediaa) September 11, 2026

“I was being selective with which balls to slog, but they all seemed within range,” he said casually. “I wanted to take it as deep as possible. I wasn’t scared of pace. I wanted to punish the balls from Archer that landed on a hard length. There’s nothing to be scared of when you’re playing for your country. I was just enjoying myself.”

England was late to receive a memo.

“My favourite ball [to face] is the short ball,” quipped Razaullah.

“I just believed in myself. I thought if I played 50 balls, I’d get a positive result.