Multan, October 9, 2024 – England’s Joe Root made history by surpassing Alastair Cook to become his country’s highest Test run-scorer, anchoring his side to a commanding 492-3 on day three of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan. Root’s unbeaten 176, alongside Harry Brook’s 141 not out, put England in a dominant position, just 64 runs behind Pakistan’s first-innings total of 556.
The pair’s unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 243 runs frustrated Pakistan’s bowling attack on a pitch offering little to the bowlers. Root, who struck eight boundaries, and Brook, who hit seven, comfortably handled the home team’s bowlers, as England chipped away at the massive total.
Brook, playing with composure, notched his 10th Test half-century earlier and carried on to a well-deserved century. Meanwhile, Root’s third-wicket stand with Ben Duckett, who scored a brisk 84, laid the foundation for England’s strong response. Duckett, unfazed by a thumb injury sustained on Tuesday, hit 11 boundaries before being dismissed leg-before by seamer Aamer Jamal.
Despite valiant efforts from Pakistan’s fast bowlers – Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Aamer Jamal – each managing to take a wicket, the Multan surface continued to offer no significant help to the bowlers. As England’s batsmen piled on the runs, Pakistan will need a special effort to regain control of the game on this flat track heading into the remaining days of the Test.
