Joe Root sets a new Test record for England as the team stages a remarkable comeback against Pakistan in the thrilling 1st Test match.
Introduction:
England were on the back foot after Pakistan set an imposing total of 556 in their first innings of the first Test. Never an easy task to recover from that sort of score, England did quite spectacularly on day three by finishing on 492 for 3, thus just 64 runs from where Pakistan were. It was a record-breaking day with Joe Root breaking records after completing his historical century. Harry Brook’s aggressive century set the course for what could well turn out to be the match-defining moment.
See also: England Struggle as Pakistan Seizes Control in Multan Test Day 2
Joe Root Breaks Records with Historic Century
Joe Root’s Test innings on the third day of the match against Pakistan will be remembered for years to come. He started off with 32 runs, breached Sir Alastair Cook’s record, and thus went on to become England’s top run-scoring batsman in Tests. The majestic 100 meant he had reached his 35th Test hundred, a thing significant enough to put him at par with cricketing greats.
Root was composed and pegging it with some elbow work that earned him just 12 fours in his innings. He still won the match for his team in testing conditions. The knock could well have been pivotal in their pursuit of Pakistan’s daunting first-innings score. His reverse sweep to bring up his century off his 167th ball was a statement of his skill and confidence at the crease. He was showing some very resilient characteristics in the flesh and the spirit, well done Root, as England put into the record books history, coming after almost the entire match played on the field.
See also: Joe Root 262 and Harry Brook 317 Lead England’s Batting Masterclass: Multan Test
Harry Brook: The next star of England
While Joe Root batted with patience, Harry Brook went on a full-fledged exhibition of aggression and flair, finishing the day at unbeaten 141 from 173 balls. He finished the night of play exactly where he left his 2022 tour of Pakistan: having added runs aplenty, as his fourth century in successive matches against Pakistan put him firmly in the public spotlight.
And Brook didn’t let much of a time pass before cementing his authority, smashing boundaries and severely punishing the Pakistan bowlers. His fifty came in just 49 balls and was an apt exhibition of how he could score quickly, whereas his second fifty was relatively time consuming due to the defensive field placements from Pakistan and some cramps which hampered his running between the wickets.
The Root-Brook Partnership
The platform that Joe Root and Harry Brook developed was the cornerstone of England’s response to Pakistan’s total for the first innings. Their unbroken 243 stand was perfectly a mix of control and aggression. Root was the anchor par excellence, while Brook was the aggressor-in-chief, keeping England at a very good run rate all day long.
By the close of day three, England had scored with a rate of 4.83 runs per over, thereby giving the Pakistan bowlers little hope of stemming the flow of runs. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who had scalped 11 wickets on his Test debut two years ago against England, had returns of 0 for 174 off 35 overs, thereby laying out the dominance shown by the batting display of England.
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett laid the foundations before Root and Brook took over. The contributions by Crawley of 78 and Ben Duckett of 84 formed the base of two vital partnerships aggregating 109 and 136 runs for the second and third wickets respectively. Both batsmen seemed set for hundreds before being dismissed as Pakistan’s bowlers held their nerves to strangle the opposition.
Between 60 and 80, Crawley was dismissed for the sixth time this year, and Duckett, fighting a thumb injury, was pinned on the crease by reverse swing of Aamer Jamal. They suffered these setbacks; however, their work paved the way for middle-order stardom in England.
Struggles of Pakistan in the Field
The attack which depended on Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Aamer Jamal toiled over the day without there being much to show for it. The only one who suggested class was Jamal, who left Brook for dead when the ball hit the grille of his helmet and rolled past the stumps without uprooting the bails.
Pakistan had moments, such as a strong lbw appeal against Root on 168, but their last review was retained on an umpire’s call. Their struggles were summed up by defensive field placements and negative bowling lines designed to slow England down scoring.
A Dominant Position for England
England end a commanding day three in control, still trailing by just 64 with seven wickets intact as Root and Brook will resume on day four with Jamie Smith yet to bat. Pakistan’s early domination now seems like a lifetime ago with England’s batters striking historic blows on the day.