The Multan Cricket Stadium is located near the Vehari Road. However, given what transpired on Day 4 of the first Test, the site should be renamed after Harry Brook and Joe Root. England’s batting duo completely tormented Pakistan. Their historic performances were nothing short of exceptional and, to put it bluntly, handed an absolute embarrassment to Pakistan.
History by Harry Brook & Joe Root
Brook, with his aggressive and attacking style, scored a magnificent 317 runs. His innings was a masterclass in modern-day batting, as he combined power with finesse and precision. He effortlessly dispatched bowlers to all parts of the ground. As part of a massive 823 for 7 declared on day four, England posted a first-innings lead of 267 over Pakistan, making Harry Brook the country’s sixth Test triple-centurion and the first since Graham Gooch. Joe Root scored a career-high 262 runs, one day after surpassing Alastair Cook’s record for England’s Test run total.
Root’s innings was buoyed by his patience, discipline, and ability to adapt to different bowling conditions. With every innings, he just closes the gap between him and Sachin Tendulkar. Right now, he is just 3,257 runs away from toppling the all-time record.
Pakistan batters, what are you doing?
The Multan pitch seemed like a highway when England were batting. Little to no chances were created, with Brook and Root dominating like anything. However, Pakistan batters presented the same surface as if it had too many demons. Abdullah Shafique lost his off-stump on the very first ball, Babar Azam continued his horror form, while Mohammad Rizwan was undone with a great in-swinger. By the end of Day 4, Pakistan lost six wickets and should be ready for the inevitable on Friday.
RECORDS CREATED ON DAY 4 OF PAK VS ENG
Highest total records
- 823-7 – 4th highest total in Test history and only the 4th time a team has passed 800 in Test cricket.
- It is England’s highest score since the Second World War.
- England’s third-highest team total in Tests.
- It’s the first time England reached 700+ with three or fewer wickets down.
- Six bowlers conceded more than 100 runs for only the second time in Tests
- Highest ever score conceded by Pakistan and highest total by any team in Pakistan, with the previous highest being 765 for 6 by Pakistan in 2009.
Partnership records ft. Root & Brook
- 454 – Highest ever partnership by England. Beating 411 by May & Cowdrey in May 1957.
- Fourth highest partnership of all-time in Test cricket.
- Highest 4th wicket stand ever – surpassing 449 by Marsh & Voges in 2015 Austra;ia v West Indies in Hobart.
- 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.
- It’s the second time Joe Root and Harry Brook have shared a 300-run partnership. They put on 302 against New Zealand in Wellington in February of last year.
- They are the first England pair to have two 200-run stands together and the ninth pair from any country.
- Second time that England have had two double-centurions in the same innings – last time was Graeme Fowler and Mike Gatting against India in 1985.
- – This is the third time in the history of the game two batters have scored 250 in the same Test innings. First time for England.
Harry Brook records
- 317- Only the sixth Englishman to score a triple century. 5th highest by an Englishman. The highest score by an England batter for 34 years.
- Highest score by an England batter against Pakistan – beating Denis Compton 278 in 1954
- Highest score by Englishman in Asia beating Cook’s 263 v Pakistan in 2015 in Abu Dhabi.
- Now has five centuries in six away Tests. He has as many away Test hundreds as Nasser Hussain (49 away Tests), Graham Gooch (44), Michael Vaughan (37), Marcus Trescothick (34), Jonathan Trott (27), and Ben Stokes (57) to name a few.
- Brook’s sixth Test century and the fourth Test in a row he has got one in Pakistan.
- Second fastest to 300 in the history of the game balls faced – 310 balls. Behind Virender Sehwag, 278 balls for his triple against South Africa in 2008. The previous fastest for England was by Wally Hammond, off 355 balls, against New Zealand in 1933.
Joe Root records
- England’s leading Test runscorer ahead of Cook – 5th on the all-time list
- 35th Hundred – going clear sixth on the all-time list – now ahead of Lara, Gavaskar, Jayawardene and Younis Khan.
- 262 – Highest ever Test score surpassing his 254 versus Pakistan in 2016
- Sixth double hundred – clear 2nd on England’s list gone ahead of Cook and joint 7th on the all-time list.
- First Englishman to surpass 20,000 international runs across formats and the 13th overall.
- Only player outside of Asia to score three double centuries in Asia. Surpassing AB De Villiers, Stephen Fleming, Rohan Kanhai, Brian Lara, Graeme Smith, and Brendon McCullum, who have two.
(Stats are from ECB official)
PAK vs ENG 1st Test Summary (after Day 4)
Pakistan 1st innings: 556/10 (Shan Masood 151, Jack Leach 3/160)
England 1st innings: 823/7 ( Harry Brook 317, Joe Root 262, Saim Ayub 2/101)
Pakistan 2nd innings: 151/6 (after 37 overs) (Agha Salman 40, Gus Atkinson 2/28) – PAK trail by 115 runs
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