Record-breaking Root leads England back into Test

First Test, Multan (day three of five)

Pakistan 556: Masood 151, Salman 104* Shafique 102; Leach 3-160

England 492-3: Root 176*, Brook 141*, Duckett 84

England are 64 runs behind

Scorecard

Joe Root’s impeccable century on the day he became England’s all-time leading runscorer led the charge back into the first Test against Pakistan in Multan.

Beginning day three on 32, Root needed another 39 to break Sir Alastair Cook’s record. After creating a moment of British sporting history, he went on and on to set up the prospect of a remarkable victory.

In punishing heat, this was one of the most gruelling of Root’s 35 Test hundreds. He batted throughout for his 176 not out, taking England to 492-3, only 64 behind.

After Zak Crawley was out for 78 and Ben Duckett recovered from his dislocated thumb to make 84, Harry Brook arrived for his own 141 not out, surviving the ball hitting the stumps but not dislodging the bails when he had 75.

Root and Brook have so far shared 243 for the fourth wicket, an all-wicket record for England in Pakistan. Resuming on 96-1, England overall added 396 for the loss of just two wickets for one of their great days in an overseas Test.

Never before have England conceded as many as Pakistan’s 556 and gone on to take a first-innings lead.

Now they are primed to do just that and, in doing so, will give themselves the chance of another stunning win in this country.

If Root made this day memorable, there were times when the cricket itself was a tough watch, simply because of how bat utterly dominated ball.

The pitch remains full of runs. It is rated as the fifth-flattest over the first three days of a Test anywhere in the world since such data was first collected in 2007. England’s almost unchecked progress and Pakistan’s slow roast puts the home side’s first-innings total into context.

But Tests in this part of the world can accelerate quickly and England have a determination to avoid draws at all costs. The tourists are now in the stronger position and can ponder how best to force victory.

England have been known to be daring with declarations in the past, yet the smarter move would be to get as many runs as possible in this first innings. That would put Pakistan under pressure in the second innings and lessen any potential run-chase when the pitch will be, in theory, at its worst.

Only once have England conceded more than the 556 Pakistan made in the first innings of a match and gone on to win – and that was in 1894. Then again, the last two times England have been flogged for more than 500, they have been victorious.

The next two days could produce one of their best wins.

There was an inevitability that this would be the day for Root to overhaul Cook’s tally of 12,472. With ideal conditions and in supreme form, Root’s massive appetite for runs would only have been appeased by a huge score.

Root came through an optimistic lbw review off the bowling of Aamer Jamal when he was on 65 then passed Cook with a dreamy straight drive off the same bowler. Root celebrated with a small wave of the bat, like he knew it was just the beginning.

And so it proved, as Root put together an epic. Even in the stifling temperature, Root played all of his trademark nudges and tucks, then scampered between the wickets. There were bouts of cramp, though no signs of stopping. Occasionally, he unfurled picture-perfect cover drives.

Spinner Abrar Ahmed was treated with disdain by all of England’s batters. Root reverse-swept him to go to three figures and at one point even played him left-handed.

There was plenty more to come. Same tempo, same solid defence and sound judgement. Against the second new ball and on 168, Root was pinned by a Naseem Shah inswinger and a review just about upheld umpire Kumar Dharmasena’s not-out decision.

More magic moments are in Root’s future, possibly even Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 15,921 Test runs. For now, his sights are set on a double hundred and an England triumph.

Brook announced himself on England’s last tour of Pakistan in 2022, making hundreds in each match of the 3-0 win. This knock made it four tons in as many Tests here and five in six away Tests overall.

Crawley looked in supreme touch after he returned on 64, only to clip Shaheen Shah Afridi to mid-wicket. Duckett, arriving at number four after his injury prevented him from opening on Tuesday, punished the spinners before he was lbw to Jamal.

Brook made a rapid start – he had 41 from the first 36 deliveries he faced – then settled into his work. Like Root, he played drives and sweeps. When Shaheen tested him with bouncers, Brook simply swatted them through mid-off.

His big moment of fortune came when he played Jamal into the ground. The ball bounced up, hit his body, then trickled back on to the unmoved stumps. It summed up Pakistan’s day.

Brook cut the left-arm spin of Saud Shakeel to reach his sixth Test hundred and, despite his own spells of cramp, still had the energy to attack the new ball by running at Naseem.

Perhaps it was fitting that, on the day Root set a new England record, he was shadowed by the batter with the best chance of getting anywhere near him.