Pakistan was at 23-1 at tea on day four, battling to avoid an innings defeat. England had earlier declared at a massive 823-7, thanks to Harry Brook’s 371 and Joe Root’s 262. Their partnership alone added 454 runs, marking one of the highest innings in Test cricket history.
Chris Woakes removed Pakistani opener Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of Pakistan’s second innings. On the field, Saim Ayub and captain Shan Masood, having survived two drops by England, were not out with 13 and 10 runs respectively. Pakistan still needed 244 runs to make England bat again.
On a flat Multan Stadium pitch, Brook and Root smashed their career-best scores, putting England 267 runs ahead of Pakistan’s first-innings score of 556. Brook, at 25, hit a boundary off spinner Saim Ayub and joined the exclusive club of Englishmen scoring over 300 in Tests, reaching this milestone on just 310 balls.
The list of English triple centurions includes Andy Sandham, the first to achieve it in 1930, and others like Len Hutton, Wally Hammond, Graham Gooch, and Bill Edrich.
Brook has excelled internationally since debuting in 2022. He scored three centuries against Pakistan in his second series, which England swept 3-0.
Root was on the brink of his first triple century but fell for 262 leg-before to spinner Agha Salman soon after lunch. England started the day at 492-3 and piled on quick runs. Root and Brook added 166 runs in 29 overs, countering Pakistan’s defensive bowling.
Root surpassed Alastair Cook to become England’s highest Test run-scorer on Wednesday. His 262 outdid his previous high of 254 against Pakistan in 2016.
Pakistan struggled without their key spinner, Abrar Ahmed, who was out with a fever on Thursday.
