Harry Brook produced one of the most dominant England batting performances ever as he and Joe Root also broke the record for the country’s highest Test partnership of all time on an incredible day against Pakistan.
Brook became just the sixth England batsman ever to notch a triple century in a Test innings, reaching 300 from 310 balls in a devastating display on day four of the First Test as the tourists became the first team since 1997 to reach a score of 800.
Brook and Root were in imperious form in the opening game of the three-match series on the flattest of pitches in the searing heat of Multan, resuming on the fourth morning on 176 and 141 not out respectively, after former captain Root on Wednesday surpassed Sir Alastair Cook as England’s all-time leading runscorer to leave his side on 492 for 3 in their first innings but still trailing by 64.
Root and Brook quickly picked up where they left off on Thursday morning, with Root smashing his sixth England double century in 305 balls with another vintage batting display full of power and poise, later passing the 250 mark with ease.
He was soon joined by Brook, who reached his own 200 off just 245 deliveries as dominant England soared beyond 600 runs at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Root then swiftly surpassed his previous highest Test score, which came after he struck 254 against Pakistan at Old Trafford back in 2016.
Per the BBC, it is only the second time that England have ever had two double centurions in the same Test innings and first since Graeme Fowler and Mike Gatting achieved the feat against India back in 1985. It has only happened 10 times in total this century and 20 times ever in the history of international Test cricket.
The scintillating fourth-wicket partnership soon went up and over the 400 mark as Pakistan’s bowlers continued to toil badly in search of an unlikely breakthrough in a punishing first session.
England reached lunch on day four in Multan without further loss at 658 for 3, their joint-fourth highest Test total ever, with Root on 259 and Brook with 218 in their partnership of 408 to give Brendon McCullum’s team a lead of 102 with seven wickets still in hand.
Root and Brook needed just four more runs between them after lunch to set a new record for the highest-ever England Test partnership, a mark held by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey since their joint-411 - also a fourth-wicket stand - against West Indies at Edgbaston in 1957.
It did not take them long to do it, Brook surviving a top edge as he notched a single before three more of his runs took them to the record. Root was eventually trapped lbw by Salman Ali Agha for 262, ending his astonishing partnership with Brook on 454.
But Brook continued to dole out the heavy punishment, going on to notch 317 - the fifth highest score ever by an England batter - before finally falling after a top edge was caught off spinner Saim Ayub. He follows Len Hutton, Wally Hammond, Graham Gooch, Andy Sandham and John Edrich as only the sixth England player to score a Test triple ton and first since Gooch did it against India at Lord’s in 1990.
Jamie Smith was dropped twice en route to a quick 31, with Chris Woakes not out for 17 and debutant Brydon Carse on two after Gus Atkinson had been removed for the same score by the time England eventually declared on a remarkable 823 for seven with a lead of 267. It is their fourth-highest Test score of all time and highest since World War Two.
They also made the perfect start to Pakistan’s second innings, with Abdullah Shafique - who made a fine century earlier in the week - bowled first ball by Woakes.
