Delve into the thrilling Multan Test, featuring Joe Root’s 262 and Harry Brook’s 317. Witness England’s batting masterclass that captivated cricket enthusiasts.
Introduction:
Day four of the Test match between England and Pakistan in Multan, saw a history performance by the visiting team which put the home team on the threshold of a famous victory. The game was supposed to end in a draw, going nowhere to the end, but what England had responded with became a sensational first innings total of 823 for 7, its third highest Test aggregate ever. Pakistan, on the other hand, was in their sixth Test defeat in a row as well as the third defeat for them in their own homeland.
See also: Joe Root Breaks England’s Test Record as They Roar Back Against Pakistan in 1st Test
A Record-Breaking Partnership
The innings of England was characterized by a match-winning partnership of Harry Brook and Joe Root, both of whom reached their career-defining milestones. 317 was the contribution of Brook and 262 by Root and it is what helped set a new record of the highest partnership in England’s Test history by garnering 454 runs. This is the fourth-highest partnership for any wicket in Test cricket.
These minutes went on, and Root, who had already gone past England’s top scoring of Test runs in the beginning of the game, continued his onslaught of runs and, as was destined to be at the end of his innings, a new career score. At such an hour, just short of the spectacular Wally Hammond, who has scored most double-centuries for England, he stands.
See also: England Crush Pakistan by innings and 47 runs in Record-Breaking Test Victory
Harry Brook shines brightly
While Root’s batting was heroic, the talking point of the show was the triple hundred by Brook – only the sixth by an Englishman to have achieved this feat in Test cricket, since Graham Gooch’s 333 way back in 1990. Brook achieved the task in just 310 balls and is the second fastest in Test cricket history after Virender Sehwag.
Brook’s innings stood out due to the variety of shots and his great fitness, as he batted nearly for two days. He showed acceleration at will while making the run from 200 to 300 in just 65 deliveries, knocking 10 fours and two sixes in that. With his innings over, the name would not be forgotten in the annals of English cricket.
Pakistan’s Problems in the Field
Pakistan faced a very hard time in the field. This was an aspect that was underlined through dropped catches and missed chances. In illustration, one of them cost Pakistan much. This came when Joe Root was on 186 and went over Babar Azam’s head. As the English continued to score runs, it was no wonder that the Pakistani bowlers toiled hard since six of them conceded more than 100 runs each, a record which speaks to the dominance of England and woe of Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Collapse in the Second Innings
Pakistan’s response to the massive total put up by England started awfully. Abdullah Shafique got out to the first ball of their second innings at the hands of Chris Woakes, and things could only worsen from there. Pakistan went into the day at 152 for 6, still trailing the first innings lead posted by England by 115 runs.
These were the very two factors that England bowlers led by Woakes and Brydon Carse on his debut exploited against both pitches and the psychological pressures that the batters of Pakistan were under. In fact, Carse, with pace and accuracy, picked up two wickets and never gave Pakistan’s middle order a chance to ease up. Woakes, however sent Shafique back without much ado and kept troubling the rest of the batting lineup of Pakistan through the day.
Smart Tactics from England
Stand-in captain Ollie Pope marshalled his troops with great awareness, shrewd field placements and effective rotation of bowlers. He brought on spinner Jack Leach, and the latter’s reward came in the form of the wicket of Saud Shakeel, which edged behind. The England bowlers have been solid to their plans, and even a late-order resistance from Salman Agha (41*) and Aamer Jamal (12*) seems to be only a matter of time before England seals the win.
Final Day Anticipation
England now stands close to taking a famous win by wrapping up Pakistan, which still trails significantly with only four wickets from defeat. For Pakistan, it has been a match to forget in which their performance with both bat and in the field presents a lot to be desired for improvement. England continues to impress on their tour of Pakistan, reminding one as to why they are among the top teams in Test cricket today.