Agencies
Multan
Harry Brook became the first England batter for 34 years to hit a triple-century in Test cricket on an astonishing fourth day against Pakistan at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Thursday, reports BBC.com/sport.
Brook, Joe Root and England broke a host of records, then the visiting pace bowlers were irresistible in charging to what looks like certain victory in the first Test.
Brook’s 317 is the sixth score in excess of 300 by an England man and his partnership of 454 with Root, who made 262, was the fourth-highest for any wicket in the history of the game.
A total of 823-7 declared is also the fourth-highest ever and England’s largest since 1938. It meant England took a lead of 267, a barely believable advantage considering Pakistan posted 556 in their first innings.
Despite the avalanche of runs on the flat pitch, Chris Woakes knocked out the off stump of Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of Pakistan’s second innings.
England were rampant, Pakistan feeble. The hosts disintegrated after tea, spiralling towards a humiliating defeat on 152-6, still 115 short of making England bat again.
Never before has a team posted so many runs in the first innings of a Test, then gone on to lose by an innings.
England, who secured a historic 3-0 victory in Pakistan two years ago, will add another memorable win at some point on Friday.
It was a run-scoring fest as Root and Brook made Pakistan bowlers toil hard, wearing them out and then going all guns blazing with a blend of unorthodox and conventional shots.
The record-breaking 454-run partnership that began on Day 3 kept the hosts dreading each delivery that they effectively dealt away.
The barrage of reverse scoops, flicks, and drives took over Multan, and Pakistan players mostly spent their time chasing the ball toward the boundary rope, especially in the second session.
The shoulders dropped, and confidence took a dip as a couple of catches went begging by. Fatigue eventually got the better of Root before he could have boasted a 300-run knock beside his name.
Salman’s delivery stayed low, and Root just couldn’t bring down his bat in time and eventually found himself pinned in front of the stumps for a score of 262.
With the end of a memorable stand, the 67-year-old record for the highest partnership by an English pair was broken by the duo.
Jamie Smith came on and played a short yet quick cameo to ensure the pressure kept mounting on Pakistan’s shoulders.
Brook surpassed the iconic India opener Virender Sehwag’s highest 309-run knock in Multan and eventually saw his knock conclude on 317(322).
England eventually declared on 823/7 in reply to Pakistan’s first-inning total of 556 runs.
The batting masterclass helped England assail to a 267-run lead on a batting paradise.
ScorescColor:> Pakistan 556 & 152/6 (Agha Salman 41*, Saud Shakeel 29; Gus Atkinson 2-28) vs England 823/7 d (Harry Brook 317, Joe Root 262; Saim Ayub 2-101).
