‘Astonishing’: Piers Morgan praises Razaullah for ‘single-handedly restoring some pride to Pakistan cricket’ after historic outing in Edgbaston

'Astonishing': Piers Morgan praises Razaullah for 'single-handedly restoring some pride to Pakistan cricket' after historic outing in Edgbaston originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Razaullah Khan smashed nine sixes on Test debut, setting a new record for the most sixes by a number nine batter in Test cricket.

The 21-year-old's 81 off 63 balls helped Pakistan avoid an innings defeat and build a surprise 129-run first-innings lead at Edgbaston.

His nine sixes equal Ben Stokes' record for most maximums in a Test innings in England and Tim Southee's record on debut.

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Piers Morgan applauds Razaullah for restoring pride to Pakistan cricket after a historic Edgbaston outing

Piers Morgan had high praise for Razaullah Khan, who rescued Pakistan at Edgbaston from another embarrassment.

At 21, making his Test debut at number nine, he walked in with his side two runs short of an innings defeat and a series whitewash staring them down; the script looked written until he started hitting sixes.

Pakistan had already conceded a massive first-innings lead of 320 runs, and when they slid to 318 for eight in their second innings, there were tremors in the dressing room.

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However, Razaullah's sensation six-hitting spree spared them the blushes. He hit nine sixes in an innings of 81 off just 63 balls, with three of those maximums coming off Gus Atkinson in a single over.

A six off Jofra Archer took him to his fifty in just 43 balls, and another off Archer pushed Pakistan beyond 400.

His assault, alongside a composed Mohammad Abbas, produced a 121-run ninth-wicket partnership that took Pakistan to 449 in the final over of the day. Instead of being crushed by an innings, Pakistan had turned the tables entirely, building a lead of 129 runs and leaving England needing 130 to complete the sweep on Saturday.

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What records did Pakistan star Razaullah set at Edgbaston against England?

The number of records Razaullah rewrote in one innings tells you how extraordinary the knock was. He now holds the record for the most sixes by a number nine batter in a Test innings.

He also equalled Ben Stokes' record for the most sixes in any Test innings played in England, as Stokes had hit nine against Australia at Lord's during the 2023 Ashes. And in terms of debuts, Razaullah matched Tim Southee's record of nine sixes in a debutant's Test innings, set by the New Zealand allrounder against England at Napier way back in 2008.

As the innings unfolded, social media was buzzing, and predictably, Piers Morgan wasn't far behind with his take. The media personality, who famously comments on cricket at every opportunity, was clearly blown away.

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"Astonishing. Congrats to young Mr Razaullah on single-handedly restoring some pride to Pakistan cricket," he wrote on X, complete with applause emojis.

The context of Razaullah's innings makes it even more remarkable

It's easy to hit sixes when your side is comfortable. It's another thing entirely to do it under the conditions Razaullah faced: debut Test, series already lost, team on the verge of a humiliating innings defeat, England crowd in full voice.

The pressure on a 21-year-old in that moment would have crushed a lot of experienced batters, and instead, he hit nine sixes.

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What makes the innings worth celebrating isn't just the records, but the timing and the spirit. Pakistan's tour had been a disaster as seven players were sent home, coaches were sacked mid-series, phones were confiscated, disciplinary inquiries were initiated, and a captain found out about his own squad changes from a press release.

Against all of that noise, a debutant nobody outside Pakistan cricket had heard of three days ago walked out and produced one of the most destructive innings by a lower-order batter in Test history. In a series defined by everything going wrong, Razaullah gave Pakistan something to smile about.

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