England became the first team to score 500 runs on the opening day of a men’s Test match Thursday, putting Pakistan to the sword in Rawalpindi.
Four England batters scored centuries – remarkably none of them named Joe Root – as the visitors slammed 506, the all-time record for men’s Test on day one. The scoreboard read 506/4 and yet, only 75 overs had been bowled as bad light stopped play.
The previous record for runs on the first day was the 494 Australia accumulated against South Africa in Sydney in 1910.
More than 500 runs in a day is a feat that has only been achieved on four other occasions – three times by England and once by Sri Lanka – but never on the opening day of a Test.
The record is the 588 England ran up on day two of a test against India in 1936.
Most runs in a day in men's Test
| Batting team | Opponent | Day | Runs | Wkts | Ground | Match Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | India | 2 | 588 | 6 | Manchester | 25 Jul 1936 |
| England | South Africa | 2 | 522 | 2 | Lord's | 28 Jun 1924 |
| Sri Lanka | Bangladesh | 2 | 509 | 9 | Colombo (PSS) | 21 Jul 2002 |
| England | South Africa | 3 | 508 | 8 | The Oval | 17 Aug 1935 |
| England | Pakistan | 1 | 506 | 4 | Rawalpindi | 1 Dec 2022 |
Here are some stats from the day:
England had the overall record in sight too if bad light had not intervened:
The run-fest got Twitter talking:
Here are the moments four England batters reached their tons:
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