First day highest score in Test cricket: Batters had a field day in Test matches which started in both East and West Punjab today.
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It is only for the second time in the history of cricket that a Test match started on the same day in both East and West Punjab. While India hosted Sri Lanka in Mohali, Pakistan hosted Australia in Rawalpindi.
Interestingly, both matches have their own share of historic significance that won’t let fans forget them easily. In East Punjab, former India captain Virat Kohli stepped on to the field to play his 100th Test, whereas Sri Lanka registered their 300th Test appearance.
In West Punjab, Australia were playing international cricket in Pakistan for the first time in 24 years.
Closest Test matches starting on the same day
360km – Chandigarh and Faisalabad on 3-Nov-1990
425km – Delhi and Lahore on 25-Nov-1987
476km – Mohali and Rawalpindi tomorrow#NicheStats
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) March 3, 2022
Captains of both the home teams, India and Pakistan, won the toss and chose to bat to make the most of batting-friendly conditions at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium and Pindi Cricket Stadium respectively.
In the 85 overs that were possible in Mohali, India amassed 357/6 at stumps on the back of individual half-centuries by Rishabh Pant (96) and Hanuma Vihari (58).
On the other hand, Pakistan scored 245/1 in 90 overs on Day 1. A 105-run opening partnership between Abdullah Shafique (44) and Imam-ul-Haq (132*) was followed by an unbeaten 140-run partnership for the second wicket between Imam and Azhar Ali (64*).
First day highest score in Test cricket (table updated on December 1, 2022)
Despite dominating the proceedings throughout the day, Pakistan never really looked like posting a mammoth Day 1 total primarily due to their batters’ strike rate.
On the contrary, Indian batters adopted the free-flowing approach finding boundaries frequently to score at a run rate of 4.2. However, even they weren’t anywhere close to the list of highest runs scored on the first day of a Test match. The same wouldn’t have been achieved even if the remaining five overs were bowled in Mohali today.
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Runs | Wickets | Ground | Year |
| England | Pakistan | 506 | 4 | Rawalpindi | 2022 |
| Australia | South Africa | 494 | 6 | Sydney | 1910 |
| Australia | South Africa | 482 | 5 | Adelaide | 2012 |
| England | Australia | 475 | 2 | The Oval | 1934 |
| England | India | 471 | 8 | The Oval | 1936 |
| Australia | South Africa | 464 | 11 | Manchester | 1912 |
| England | Australia | 458 | 3 | Leeds | 1930 |
| Zimbabwe | New Zealand | 452 | 9 | Harare | 2005 |
| South Africa | Australia | 450 | 10 | Johannesburg | 1921 |
| Sri Lanka | Bangladesh | 449 | 7 | Colombo | 2005 |
