New Delhi: For a player making his Test debut, Razaullah Mashwani could hardly have chosen a more dramatic way to introduce himself.
The 21-year-old arrived in Pakistan’s XI at Edgbaston with little international experience behind him and found himself thrown into a difficult contest against England. By the time he walked out to bat, Pakistan were 312 for seven and still facing the possibility of an innings defeat.
What followed turned an unfamiliar name into one of the talking points of the Test. Razaullah smashed 81 off only 63 balls, launching nine sixes against an England attack featuring Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue. His assault not only dragged Pakistan away from the brink but also earned him a place in the record books: his nine maximums equalled the most sixes hit by a batter in a Test innings on debut.
Yet the performance was not completely out of character for a youngster who had already shown glimpses of his ability with the bat in domestic cricket. Born in Mardan in Peshawar, Razaullah had played only eight first-class matches before being thrust into Test cricket. His first-class debut came in November 2025, and among those early appearances was a century for Peshawar, where he had opened the innings.
His primary identity, however, is that of a fast bowler. Razaullah had already provided an indication of his potential with the ball at Edgbaston, removing England’s batting great Joe Root with his fourth delivery in Test cricket. His figures later became expensive, but the wicket showed why Pakistan had turned to him during a period of major upheaval in their squad.
The circumstances surrounding his selection were hardly routine either. Razaullah was brought into the Pakistan side at short notice after a major overhaul following their defeat at Lord’s, with seven players dropped and two coaches also removed.
That left the youngster with little time to settle into international cricket. Instead, he embraced the occasion.
“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.”
His batting approach was equally uncomplicated. Rather than allowing the quality of England’s pace attack to dictate terms, he backed his own strengths and attacked whenever the opportunity presented itself.
“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.”
Archer, in particular, discovered that Razaullah was not going to retreat from the short ball.
“My favourite ball (to face) is the short ball,” Razaullah quipped.
The confidence behind those words was evident in the numbers. Atkinson was hit for three successive sixes, while Archer was also taken over the ropes three times in one over. By the time Razaullah was dismissed for 81, Pakistan had moved from a position of serious danger to one where England were left with a fourth-innings chase.
The debutant’s philosophy was simple enough. “I just believed in myself. I thought if I played 50 balls, I’d get a positive result. And thankfully that happened.”
(IANS)
