Multan
Joe Root and Harry Brook made headlines on the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan by scoring record-breaking double centuries on Thursday. Root’s unbeaten 259 and Brook’s explosive 218 propelled England to an impressive total of 658-3 by lunch, giving them a commanding 102-run lead.
The duo’s unbroken partnership of 409 runs set a new record for the highest stand in England-Pakistan Test matches, surpassing the previous record of 363 runs held by Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan from 2006. This performance also saw England eclipse Pakistan’s first-innings score of 556 with ease. Despite Pakistan’s defensive strategy, Root and Brook added 166 runs in just 29 overs, with Root becoming England’s highest Test run-scorer, surpassing Alastair Cook during his marathon 601-minute innings.
Brook, in his maiden double hundred, struck 20 boundaries and a six, dominating a flat Multan pitch that offered little help to bowlers. Root capitalized on a dropped catch by Babar Azam at 186 to reach his sixth double century.
