Top 3 individual scores at the end of Day 1 of a test match
Since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes' appointments as coach and captain, respectively, England's test team has undergone a phenomenal transformation, winning 9 out of 10 games.
It is a huge relief for the fans of the game in England, who were worried about the country's ability to compete in Test cricket, with the team having endured a horrible run prior to the change at the helm.
One defining characteristic of this English test side is the aggressive manner in which they play. The style, which has been given the name 'BazBall' by the media, has made test cricket extremely exciting for spectators of the sport.
For the last 10 yrs all kids have wanted to Bat and be like Joe Root .. For the next 10 yrs they will all want to Bat like Harry Brook .. #NZvENG
England's aggressive approach was on display again during the first day of their ongoing second test match against New Zealand. England scored runs in just 65 overs, courtesy of centuries by Joe Root and Harry Brook. Brook in particular was lethal, smashing 184 runs in just 169 deliveries.
Scoring 184 runs in a test innings is a splendid effort and doing that on a single day, that too one in which 35 overs were not bowled is a phenomenal feat.
#1 Sir Don Bradman - 309
In a test match against England at Leeds in 1930, the one and only Sir Don Bradman made 309 runs in a single day. He returned on Day 2 to add another 25 runs before he was finally dismissed after facing 448 deliveries.
It's been almost 93 years since that inning, but it still holds the record for the highest individual score on the first day of a test match.
Thanks to 'The Don's' sensational innings, Australia posted 566 in the first innings, and England would only make 391.
The Aussies enforced the follow-on, and England made 95 runs for the loss of three wickets in the second innings, with the game eventually ending in a stalemate.
#2 David Warner - 244
Second on the list is Australia's explosive opener David Warner, who in a test match against New Zealand in Perth smashed 244 runs on the opening day of the game.
On Day 2, he could only manage to add 9 runs to his overnight score as Trent Boult finally got the better of him.
Australia made 559 runs in the first innings, following which the Kiwis posted 624 runs on the board, thanks to a terrific double ton by Ross Taylor and a century by Kane Williamson.
The Aussies scored 385 in the second innings, and in response, the Kiwis reached 104-2 at stumps on Day 5, with the test ending in a draw.
#3 Herschelle Gibbs - 228
South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs tormented Pakistan in a test match against them in 2003, as he went on to smash 228 runs on Day 1 itself.
Gibbs made those runs at a strike rate of 95, and his innings helped the Proteas post 620 in the first innings. He shared a 368-run stand with fellow opener Graeme Smith, who himself made 151.
Pakistan could only make 252 in response, and the follow-on was enforced. Pakistan's batting in the second innings was even worse, as they were bowled out for 226—handing Shaun Pollock and his men an innings victory.