Another session of the series-opening Multan Test belonged to the batters, as England continued to pile on the runs. Joe Root, who surpassed Alastair Cook to become England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, brought up his 35th Test century. Harry Brook, after Ben Duckett’s dismissal, joined the action as England added 119 runs in the post-lunch session, reducing the deficit to 205.
Root resumed after lunch where he had left off, hitting a boundary in the first over. Pakistan found some success when they dismissed the dangerous Duckett, who, despite battling injury, had attacked the bowling earlier and fell just 16 runs short of a century. However, Duckett’s wicket brought little relief, as Brook made his intentions clear with a boundary off only his second delivery.
Brook’s aggressive approach saw him race to 21 off just 15 balls, much like the morning session where a new batter dominated immediately after an early wicket. Shaheen Afridi’s return to the attack didn’t slow England down, as Brook struck him for three boundaries, and Root added another, moving closer to his century.
While Brook reached his half-century in just 49 balls, Root soon followed with his landmark 35th Test ton, putting him behind only five other players in the prestigious all-time list. Pakistan’s efforts to break the partnership were in vain as both batters saw out the remaining overs before the break. Though Pakistan still hold a lead of over 200 runs, England’s scoring rate poses a concern, with the visitors still having seven wickets in hand.
**Brief scores:** England 351/3 (Joe Root 119*, Ben Duckett 84) trail Pakistan 556 by 205 runs.
