'Wanted to punish balls from Archer that landed on hard length': Razaullah after blitzkrieg at Edgbaston

Debutant fast bowler Razaullah delivered a fearless counter-attacking knock of 81 at Edgbaston, earning a standing ovation as he walked off the field and turning a potential innings defeat into a competitive clash against England.

Entering at No. 9 with Pakistan in dire straits, the 21-year-old launched an aggressive assault against England's pace attack of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, and Josh Tongue. Razaullah smashed nine sixes in his 63-ball innings, steering Pakistan to a total of 449 in their second innings on the third day of the final Test and setting England a target of 130 runs.

Refusing to be intimidated by England's short-ball strategy—which had troubled several top-order batters throughout the series—Razaullah repeatedly took on the short pitch. He reached his fifty off just 43 deliveries, registering the fastest half-century by a Pakistani batter on Test debut, bringing up the milestone with a six.

"I enjoyed the standing ovation," Razaullah grinned later at the press conference, according to Cricinfo. "I like to enjoy life, and I was relishing the moment."

"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," the young seamer added.

"My favourite ball [to face] is the short ball. I just believed in myself. I thought if I played 50 balls, I'd get a positive result. And thankfully that happened," he said.

Razaullah forged a vital 121-run lower-order partnership with Mohammad Abbas, who contributed 42 to frustrate the host side. Josh Tongue eventually ended the stand by dismissing Abbas before taking Razaullah's wicket shortly after, ending his bid for a debut hundred.

The tail-end recovery built on earlier momentum provided by Pakistan's upper order. Openers Shan Masood (95) and Azan Awais (59) put together a 125-run stand after losing both openers for ducks earlier, while Babar Azam chipped in with 76. Their collective effort brought Pakistan within four runs of England's first-innings total of 453.

Razaullah, who previously scored a first-class century as an opener after requesting a promotion up the order, demonstrated that same attacking mindset at No. 9 on the international stage. His late-innings fireworks ensured England would have to bat again to secure a potential 3-0 series whitewash. (ANI)