Joe Root batted throughout day three to guide England back into the first Test against Pakistan, and wrote his name in the history books in the process.
The Yorkshireman became England’s highest run-scorer in Test cricket – surpassing Alastair Cook – by reaching 71 in Multan. He achieved it in the morning session with a beautiful straight drive for four off Aamer Jamal to record his 12,473 run in the longest format.
And he was still at the crease come the close as England reached 492 for three in reply to Pakistan’s 556 all out.
Root walked off on 176 not out alongside fellow Yorkshire batter Harry Brook who made an unbeaten 141 in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 243.
Becomes England’s all-time leading Test run scorer ✅
Bats the day to end 176* ✅
Joe Root things. pic.twitter.com/VmozhUgo7k
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 9, 2024
In moving past Cook, Root also edged up to fifth on the all-time Test scorers’ list behind Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar.
He is more than 3000 runs behind India great Tendulkar but Cook believes the 33-year-old is capable of chasing that figure down.
“I can see him overhauling Sachin Tendulkar’s record,” Cook told the BBC. “When I retired, I thought there was every chance that my record will be broken. I thought only the effects of captaincy and the hunger that takes out of you would stop him. I think the fact that Ben Stokes has taken over the captaincy has helped Root.
“You could say Sachin is still the favourite, but [only] just. He’s been so lucky with injuries. All great players who played for a long time have been lucky with injuries. You just never know what’s around the corner, but it has to be something like it that could stop him. But I don’t see that happening for Root to lose that hunger and ability to keep driving himself forward for the next couple of years.
“The only slight hurdle in his way will be the Ashes series – there is always something happening around the series. It’s in 14 months’ time and there’s always a story about the damage that happens or doesn’t happen around every Ashes series. I’d give Sachin 51 per cent and Root 49 per cent. But I would be betting on Root to do it.”
Root started the day on 32 alongside Zak Crawley but saw the opener depart relatively quickly, holing out to Aamer Jamal at midwicket off the bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi for 78.
Ben Duckett shrugged off the effects of the thumb injury that prevented him from opening yesterday and looked good for his 84, although he would have been annoyed to miss out on a century by being trapped lbw by a ball from Jamal.
Neither Root nor Brook made that mistake. The former brought up three figures with a lovely reverse sweep as he registered his fifth century of 2024.
Brook in Pakistan:
153, 87, 9, 108, 111 & now 💯*⃣Match Centre: https://t.co/M5mJLlHALN
🇵🇰 #PAKvENG 🏴 | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/BskzvRDNR9
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 9, 2024
Brook followed after tea with a knock that was more aggressive than his county team-mate’s and continued his remarkable record in Pakistan. It was his fourth century in the country in four Tests after a breakthrough tour two years ago.
England will look to move past Pakistan’s first-innings total in the morning and establish a sizeable lead. However, it seems unlikely they will then be able to skittle the home side on a pitch that resembles a road and claim an early lead in the three-Test series.
