With an unconquered hundred against Pakistan, Joe Root overtook Alastair Cook as England’s highest run scorer in a Test, leading his team to 492-3 in the first Test in Multan on Wednesday.
After driving seamer Aamer Jamal for a straight boundary to reach 71 just before lunch, the 33-year-old overtook Cook’s total of 12,472 runs and became the fifth-highest scorer of all time.
At the end of day three, Root was still batting with Harry Brook, who was on 141 not out. This put England within 64 runs of Pakistan’s 556-run first innings total.
Rejecting Pakistan’s bowling attack on a lifeless pitch that had harmed England’s bowlers on the previous two days, the pair added 243 runs for the fourth wicket.
Root’s memorable knock lasts 481 minutes and has 12 boundaries. Despite experiencing cramps, Brook accumulated the same number and added a sixth.
He reached his 35th Test century, the sixth most by any batsman, in the second session when he reverse-swept spinner Abrar Ahmed for a single. He finished the session with an impressive 119 runs unbeaten.
Harry Brook made 64 not out for his 10th Test half century, putting England 205 behind Pakistan’s 556 in the first innings. Root has scored eight fours so far, compared to Brook’s seven.
Root and Brook’s fourth-wicket partnership has so far produced 102 runs, despite the bowlers’ inability to benefit from the flat Multan stadium pitch.
Ben Duckett made a solid 84 with 11 boundaries, showing no signs of recovering from a thumb dislocation on Tuesday that forced him to bat at number four. Root added 136 runs for the third wicket.
After scoring 11 goals, seamer Aamer Jamal trapped Duckett in the leg before he was dismissed as the only man dismissed during the lunch break.
Each of the three Pakistani fast bowlers, Jamal, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, has taken one wicket.
It was a memorable day for Root, who took 268 innings and 147 Tests to go past his previous skipper Cook’s complete of 12,472 runs from 161 Tests in a wonderful vocation that finished in 2018.
Zak Crawley, who struck 13 fours in an 85-ball 78, also contributed to Root’s 109-run partnership for the second wicket, but he left early on the third morning.
Crawley was caught at midwicket at the second attempt by Jamal after failing to keep a flick down off pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in the fourth over.
Duckett got the Test off to a strong start, scoring his 10th half-century in just 45 balls and taking five boundaries off spinner Abrar.
Root broke Cook’s record and continued to build steadily at the other end, scoring his 65th Test fifty off 76 deliveries before receiving cheers from a few England fans and teammates in the dressing room.
Sachin Tendulkar of India leads the all-time list with 15,921 victories from 200 matches.
Root would surpass Tendulkar’s record, Cook predicted.
During a BBC radio commentary, the former England opening batsman stated, “I can see him overhauling Sachin Tendulkar’s record.”
“Sachin is still the favorite, but just,” you could say.
“I don’t see that happening for Root to lose that hunger and ability to keep moving forward for the next few years.”
