MULTAN, Pakistan (Reuters) – Joe Root and Harry Brook scored double centuries as England heaped more misery on Pakistan by overhauling their total and reaching a mammoth 658-3 at lunch on the fourth day of the opening test on Thursday.
Resuming on 492-3, the tourists went past Pakistan’s 556 to build a first innings lead of 102 runs and primed themselves to accelerate in the second session with Root on 259 not out and Brook unbeaten on 218.
It was the highest test score for both batsmen as they took their fourth-wicket partnership to 409 off 488 deliveries on the lifeless surface at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Root, who eclipsed Alastair Cook as England’s top test run-scorer, picked up from where he left off on Wednesday and became the first batsman from his country to make 20,000 international runs in the morning session with a driven boundary.
The former captain was handed a reprieve on 186 when Babar Azam dropped the simplest of catches at mid-wicket, and he made the most of it to reach his sixth double century with a single before celebrating by kissing the badge on his helmet.
In reaching the milestone, Root went past Cook again with only Wally Hammond ahead of him in England’s list with seven double tons.
Brook then became the latest member of the club to delight the travelling English fans, who stayed on their feet to cheer when Root eased to his 250 with a scooped boundary in the same over bowled by Naseem Shah.
Television replays showed the ball had struck Root’s pads but the 33-year-old did not complain and went on to better his previous best of 254.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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