MULTAN: Pakistan is six down in the third session on the fourth day and fighting to avoid an innings defeat after Harry Brook’s 371 and Joe Root’s 262 propelled England to a mammoth 823-7 declared in the first Test on Thursday.
The record-breaking inning from England achieved several milestones including England becoming the first team to post 800-plus runs in an innings against Pakistan in Tests. The previous highest against Pakistan was 790 for 3 by West Indies in 1958 in Kingston.
It is also the highest total by any team in Pakistan, with the previous highest being 765 for 6 by Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2009. England’s 823 for 7 is the fourth-highest by any team in Test cricket.
Brook and Root enjoyed a run-feast on a flat Multan stadium pitch, both knocking career-best scores to give England a 267 lead over Pakistan’s first innings total of 556.
The 454-run partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook is now the highest for England in Test cricket, bettering the 411-run stand between Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against West Indies in 1957, also for the fourth wicket.
It is also the highest partnership in Tests against Pakistan, going past the 446-run stand by Conrad Hunte and Gary Sobers for the second wicket in 1958 in Kingston.
In another record, Root and Brook also put on the highest stand for the fourth or a lower wicket in Tests as the previous highest was 449 between Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh against West Indies in 2015 in Hobart.
The 25-year-old Brook clubbed a four-off spinner Saim Ayub to become the sixth Englishman to score 300 or more in Test cricket, achieving the feat off 310 balls, with 28 fours and three sixes. Harry Brook also became the first England batter in 34 years to score a triple-century•Getty Images
Brook’s senior partner Joe Root was unlucky not to reach his maiden triple century as he was trapped leg-before by spinner Agha Salman for 262 soon after lunch.
During the 2nd inning, Joe Root surpassed Alastair Cook’s tally of 12472, becoming the leading run-scorer for England in Test cricket with 12664. Root is now fifth in the list of highest run-getters in Test cricket.
Additional information from Agence France-Presse (AFP)
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