Pakistan's latest Test debutant Razaullah could hardly have asked for a bigger first wicket. The 21-year-old fast bowler trapped England captain Joe Root lbw for eight at Edgbaston, immediately putting his name alongside a rare piece of Test history.
Root's dismissal came in Razaullah's very first over of Test cricket. The England captain reviewed the on-field decision, but the review confirmed the ball was hitting the stumps, giving the Pakistani pacer his maiden international red-ball wicket.
There was more significance to the dismissal than simply removing England's captain.
Root had already amassed 14,216 Test runs by the time he walked out against Pakistan, making him one of only two batters to have crossed the 14,000-run barrier in the format.
That placed Razaullah in an exclusive list involving bowlers who claimed a batter with an extraordinary Test run tally as their first Test victim.
The previous notable instance came in 2010, when New Zealand's Andy McKay dismissed India's legendary Sachin Tendulkar on debut in Nagpur.
Tendulkar had 14,366 Test runs at the time, meaning McKay remains ahead of Razaullah on this particular list. The Pakistani youngster now occupies the second position after Root's dismissal.
The milestone gave an already memorable debut an additional historical dimension.
The young pacer did not stop after removing Root.
Later in the innings, Razaullah returned to dismiss England opener Emilio Gay for 60, breaking a 104-run partnership between Gay and Harry Brook. He finished the opening day with impressive figures of 2/42 from nine overs.
His performance stood out during an otherwise difficult day for Pakistan's bowling and batting units.
Pakistan were bowled out for just 133 after Josh Tongue claimed four wickets, while Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer picked up three apiece. England eventually reached 156/4 at stumps, taking a 23-run first-innings lead.
Razaullah's emergence was one of the few positives for Pakistan on a day when their new-look side once again struggled against England.
