"Should be banned for life. Give it demerit points" - Fans take a dig at Rawalpindi wicket after England openers get off to a rollicking start

England got off to a breathtaking start in the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi that got underway on Thursday, December 1. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett scored centuries as the tourists took the driver's seat in the first session of the opening day.

Ben Stokes and Co. won the toss and decided to bat first at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Crawley and Duckett took the attack to the opposition from ball one as the former raced to his fifty in just 38 balls, while England touched the 100-run mark in 13.5 overs.

Duckett, on the other hand, made a run-a-ball fifty himself on his comeback. Pakistan bowlers were not up to the mark and leaked runs easily. Both reached their individual centuries before the hosts could make some inroads with the ball.

Meanwhile, fans were unhappy with the Rawalpindi wicket and slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for preparing a dead pitch. Many also urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ban the ground for life and award Pakistan demerit points.

Here are some of the reactions:

At the time of writing, England were placed at 273/2, with Ollie Pope (22*) and Joe Root (16*) in the middle. The visitors will hope to pile up a big total to put the hosts under tremendous pressure.

Haris Rauf and Zahid Mahmood picked up one wicket apiece for Pakistan.

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"Looks like an absolute road" - Nasser Hussain on Rawalpindi wicket

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain shared his thoughts on the pitch being used for the ongoing Test. The cricketer-turned-commentator believes the turf has no life in it, saying:

"It looks like an absolute road."

Hussain's former teammate Michael Atherton also echoed the same sentiments, calling the wicket "very flat".

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