England score record first-day Test total against Pakistan

England became the first team to score 500 runs on the opening day of a Test match on Thursday, putting Pakistan to the sword in Rawalpindi.

Four English batsmen scored centuries as the tourists cantered to 506-4 at the close of 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 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.

England’s robust batting was the ideal start to the Test — their first in Pakistan in 17 years — after it hung in the balance on Wednesday when several visiting players came down with a mystery virus.