Key occasions
England declare on 823-7
Saim Ayub turns it enough to beat the batter and keeper, the ball working away for 4 byes. As Nasser (*800*) factors out on comms, that degree of spin will please the English. And out comes Ollie Pope to name his boys in – England declare with a lead of 267.
149th over: England 815-7 (Carse 8, Woakes 14) “Might as well keep going to be the first team to reach 1000 in a Test,” writes Adrian Riley. Woakes pummels Naseem for 4 to maintain that dream alive.
148th over: England 805-7 (Carse 6, Woakes 6) Brydon Carse exhibits off his batting chops by driving over additional cowl for six from his second ball in Test cricket. England transfer previous 800!
WICKET! Atkinson c Babar b Saim 2 (England 799-7)
England are collapsing! Gus Atkinson arrives for a thrash and tries to drive over quick additional cowl, the place Babar Azam clings on.
WICKET! Brook c Masood b Saim 317 (England 797-6)
It’s lastly over. An exhausted Harry Brook makes his manner off after prime-edging a sweep to quick fantastic leg, his teammates rising as soon as once more to applaud a historic innings. It’s the fifth-highest rating for England in Test cricket.
147th over: England 795-5 (Brook 315, Woakes 6) Poor ol’ Naseem Shah continues to thunder in. The promising younger fast deserves a greater floor.
146th over: England 791-5 (Brook 314, Woakes 3) Brook continues to feed on some poor bowling, pulling Saim Ayub’s drag-down for 4. He’s working previous the very best efforts of the greats with each run – Younis Khan (313) and Hashim Amla (311*) are only a couple he’s gone previous in that over.
Taha Hashim
145th over: England 781-5 (Brook 306, Woakes 1) Hello, individuals. This actually is nuts, isn’t it? Harry Brook’s gone previous Brendon McCullum’s Test-best of 302 so he can lord that over his coach. Chris Woakes is in for a success, although I’m nonetheless attempting to determine what England need to do right here. Are they simply ready for Brook to get out earlier than declaring? They lead by 225, and so they’re going to wish loads of time to take 10 wickets.
WICKET! England 779-5 (Smith c Jamal b Naseem 31)
Smith holes out to lengthy on to finish a punishing cameo of 31 from 24 balls. That’s drinks, and time for me at hand over to Taha for the remainder of this report-breaking day. Bye!
Harry Brook hits 300 in a Test!
144th over: England 777-4 (Brook 305, Smith 29) He’s achieved it! Harry Brook golf equipment Saim again over his head for 4 to make the first triple-century by an England batsman since Graham Gooch on 27 July 1990. Sky ought to actually have lower to the horse racing when he was on 298.
Brook is totally spent now, although he pointedly seems to be up in tribute to his late grandmother Pauline. That look to the sky has grow to be a cliche to the purpose the place we overlook how poignant it have to be, particularly as the loss of life of Brook’s grandmother was this yr. My goodness, what are we watching right here. Harry Brook is 302 not out from 310 balls with 28 fours and three sixes. It’s the second quickest of all time, I believe behind Virender Sehwag.
He’s England’s sixth triple-centurion in Tests, becoming a member of this significantly quick record.
364 Len Hutton v Australia, The Oval 1938
336* Wally Hammond v New Zealand, Auckland 1932-33
333 Graham Gooch v India, Lord’s 1990
325 Andy Sandham v West Indies, Jamaica 1929-30
310* John Edrich v New Zealand, Headingley 1965
305* Harry Brook v Pakistan, Multan 2024-25
143rd over: England 768-4 (Brook 298, Smith 27) Another dropped catch, although this was a spectacular effort by the sub fielder Mohammad Huraira. Smith pulled Naseem in direction of deep backward sq., the place Huraira took a tricky catch on the run, threw the ball up earlier than he jumped over the boundarysponge however then stumbled as he tried to show and are available again onto the sphere of play. Without the slip he would taken an excellent catch.
Smith slugs one other boundary by means of the covers. England’s rating is the best in a Test in Pakistan and the fifth highest anywhere. We’ve come a good distance from Durban in 1999, when England closed day one on 135 for two from 85.1 overs.
142nd over: England 759-4 (Brook 296, Smith 20) No boundaries and England nonetheless take eight from the over. Harry Brook is 4 away from 300. “Brave captain to declare on somebody so close to a milestone, Michael,” deadpans Ian Ward.
“Have England ever had this many ‘genuine’ batters with averages over 50?” asks Chris Drew.
It’s not simply searchable however I believe there are at the very least two groups: one in the late Twenties/early Nineteen Thirties and one other after the second world conflict.
141st over: England 751-4 (Brook 291, Smith 17) Brook strikes into the 290s with an incredible shot, charging the first ball of a brand new spell from Naseem Shah and smoking it virtually nonchalantly over mid-off for six. A pull for 2 from Smith takes England previous 750. Thank goodness Taha takes over in quarter-hour time; I’m all milestoned out.
Thanks to Tom Paternoster-Howe for mentioning that Athers’ line about Jamie Smith was a nod to cricket’s wealthy historical past.
“I hope that Jamie Smith reprised fellow wickie Arthur Wood’s famous line from the 1938 Ashes Test at the Oval,” writes Tom, “where he said to the gatekeeper ‘Just the man for a crisis’ as he walked out to bat at 770 for 6.”
The final time an England batsman made 300 in a Test, this was Top of the Pops
one hundred and fortieth over: England 742-4 (Brook 284, Smith 15) Brook strikes into the 280s, solely the ninth England participant to take action. As Mike Atherton says on Sky, this innings wouldn’t have been potential earlier than Brook’s health drive earlier in the yr.
Smith saunters all the way down to drive Saim for an immaculate straight six. “Jamie Smith, always the man for a crisis…” says Athers on commentary.
Smith tries once more subsequent ball, doesn’t pay money for it and is miserably dropped by Saud Shakeel at lengthy-on. That was a sitter, one which he would virtually actually have taken at 440 for 4. But not 740 for 4.
139th over: England 729-4 (Brook 279, Smith 7) Harry Brook remains to be going sturdy. He prices Salman to clatter a wonderfully straight six, golf equipment a one-bounce 4 over sq. leg and steals the standard twos. A single off the final ball permits him to maintain strike once more.
Brook has hit 61 off his final 36 balls. We’ve seen those numbers before.
“I like to think Ollie Pope just told Root they are going to declare immediately,” says John Plunkett, “and he has to go straight back out.”
And open the bowling.
138th over: England 714-4 (Brook 264, Smith 7) England skip previous their 710 for 7 against India in 2011, so that is now their highest rating in a Test match since 1938.
“It’s just dawned on me that Root and Brook ran over 300 of their runs,” says Phil Withall. “That’s quite phenomenal in these conditions. Not just talented but also incredibly fit…”
That’s a wonderful level, one which Nasser has additionally made a few occasions on TV. You may argue it’s the one most spectacular factor concerning the innings.
137th over: England 709-4 (Brook 261, Smith 5) In six and a bit Tests, Jamie Smith has batted in all types of various conditions. It’s honest to say that 703 for 4 constitutes a brand new expertise. He will get straight down the enterprise by rifling his second ball by means of additional cowl for 4.
Incidentally, whereas Root bought out to a weary shot, the ball from Salman did flip a bit. This sport isn’t a nailed-on draw.
The finish of a report-shattering innings and partnership. Root whipped throughout the road, missed and was plumb in entrance. The complete Pakistan workforce make a degree of shaking his hand, as does Harry Brook, and Root raises his bat wearily as he walks off.
He made a profession-greatest 262 from 375 balls, including an England-record 454 with Harry Brook. Look, simply assume all the pieces’s a report except we are saying in any other case. In the course of his innings, a fortnight in the past final Wednesday, Root additionally grow to be England’s main Test runscorer.
WICKET! England 703-4 (Root LBW b Slman 262)
Joe Root walks on an LBW!
England go previous 700
136th over: England 703-3 (Root 262, Brook 260) Brook drives Saim for a single to take England to 700 for less than the fourth time in their historical past. The final event was against India once they turned world No1 in 2011. “England won’t make 700 again until the second Test on this ground next week,” deadpans Nasser (*800*).
Mercy. The 450 partnership is subsequent, and that is now the fourth-highest partnership in Test history.
Harry Brook's first Test 250!
one hundred and thirty fifth over: England 699-3 (Root 260, Brook 258) NURSE, THE EFFING WISDENS. Harry Brook races previous 250 with successive boundaries off Jamal, a whipped pull and a jaunty steer over quick third man. What an innings: 281 balls, 25 fours, 1 six. He is probably the most great participant, however this pitch is a joke.
Brook makes room to smash a 3rd boundary over broad mid-off, accepts one other overthrow and retains the strike as soon as once more. Root has confronted solely three balls in 5 overs since lunch; Brook has hit 40 off his final 23 balls.
“Rob, it’s no surprise that that Root and Brook went On and On because in Pakistan The Sun is Often Out,” says Dan Gill, persevering with the OBO’s newest topical theme. If you realize, you realize. And in the event you don’t, you’re not lacking a lot. Except perhaps probably the most underrated album of 1996 and the most effective songs of 1999. But you crack on, stream some Lewis Capaldi.
134th over: England 684-3 (Root 260, Brook 243) Saim will get one to chunk and beat Brook outdoors off stump. England received’t thoughts that one bit, particularly as it turned comparatively rapidly. Relatively. The pitch remains to be a belter, although, and even Jackson Lamb would battle to nobble any individual on this.
“If Gary Lineker was in the team,” begins John Bray, “he’d by pointing to Ollie Pope and indicating someone should ‘have a word with him’, a la Gazza in Italia 90.”
133rd over: England 681-3 (Root 259, Brook 241) Brook is swinging at all the pieces now, so if he hangs round he’ll be the first to 300. He slashes Jamal previous backward level for his 34rd 4, then accepts an overthrow after pinging a leg-aspect yorker simply wanting midwicket. An overthrow when the opposition are on 680! Pakistan’s gamers look as blissful as Larry David.
“This is incredible,” says Dan Gladwell. “At the time of writing Harry Brook averages 140 in Pakistan and has scored over 200 runs more in the country than any other English batsman (and probably quite a few Pakistan batsmen too).”
And he’s scored a shedload in the PSL. Pakistan pitches are his Rushmore.
132nd over: England 676-3 (Root 259, Brook 236) “Brook should be targeting 229, the lowest score nobody has ever made in Test cricket (I think),” says James Scholey. “One of them should pick an unmade score anyway, to add to the stats bonanza. Well, he shouldn’t but it would please me.”
Too late. He’s enjoying a shot a ball now and has raced previous it. He chips Saim over additional cowl for 4, a stunning stroke, then claters one other to the identical space. A few mishit photographs land safely, permitting England to scamper extra runs. This actually is bonkers.
England's highest-ever Test partnership!
131st over: England 663-3 (Root 259, Brook 223) Aamer Jamal has drawn the quick straw and can open the bowling after lunch. Actually he virtually takes a wicket when Brook prime-edges a one-handed pull that simply clears the sub fielder working again from sq. leg.
He nails the shot subsequent ball, although it plugs barely and doesn’t attain the boundary. Nonetheless, the three runs make this England’s highest partnership in Test cricket, surpassing the (in)well-known 411 by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey at Edgbaston in 1957. Those Wisdens pack a punch, eh?
“Hi Rob,” says Krishnamoorthy V. “My brother-in-law simply mentioned: ‘At this rate Root will surpass Sachin in this series.”
I hope you’re prepared to be overwhelmed across the head with the Wisden Almanack data part: the gamers are again on the sphere.
An excellent spot from Richard Arundel: Joe Root’s innings is the one centesimal 250+ rating in Test cricket. Here’s the list in chronological order.
1 Joe Root 2 Daylight 3 Twilight
“On reflection, Steve Smith is a bit of a dilettante, isn’t he?” sniffs Paul Griffin. “Lacks the technique, and is short of the levels of mental concentration, to really stick around and get a few runs. And the England Ashes tour of 2010/11. If only Cook and Trott could have stuck around at the crease, England might have eked out a result down there. And Lara, don’t even get me started. Basically, a glorified nightwatchman. Bradman? Found out in his last innings, and retired – literally – just as has he was rumbled.
“More on my Substack, in which I also take down Leo Messi for being too short, and suggest New Zealand change the colour of their rugby jerseys. Brown. Tadej Pogacar needs stabilisers irl you know. Like and subscribe £££££.”
“A famous line from Geoff Boycott after he had been dismissed early in a big team innings was, ‘They’re out there getting all my runs’,” begins Peter Metcalfe. “You have to wonder if Pope is feeling the same.”
Pope, Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan have actually suffered a dose of the Grahame Clintons – look at this scorecard.
Just a few of you've gotten urged England needs to be for the large data: Brian Lara’s 400 not out and Sri Lanka’s 952 for six. In the parlance of our time, it’s not their jam. If it was a lifeless rubber then perhaps, however not when it’s 0-0 and there’s an outdoor change of victory. As we noticed in the first Test in Pakistan two years in the past, they may want each single minute.
“Morning Rob, this is very strange,” says Andy Bradshaw. “I assume the plan is to grind the Pakistani bowlers into bloody stumps and bat till just after tea and then hopefully get wickets of exhausted batsmen straight away. And then prey on the Pakistani lack of confidence.”
Exactly, although perhaps simply earlier than tea. I believe they’ve performed it completely thus far. We’ll by no means know however my hunch is the Bazball 1.0 workforce would have smashed it in every single place and declared at round 600.
Feels like we may be formally on #triplehundredwatch now?
Only Chris Woakes in this workforce was born the final time an England batter scored a Test triple-century, in 1990. Thatcher was nonetheless PM. Mark Robins had simply saved Alex Ferguson’s job. It was a extremely very long time in the past.
— Daniel Brigham (@dan_brigham) October 10, 2024
Since you requested so politely, these are the 20 instances of two players scoring Test double hundreds in the same innings.
“Ah, memories of Foxy and Gatt in 1984-85,” says John Swan. “Listening to TMS on the radio while trudging through a foot of snow trying to get to school in your beloved Rochester. 652 for 7 seemed like an absolute monster of a score but felt like a lot harder work – partly the opposition, partly the expectations of the England team. That lot had come off the back of the 5-0 defeat to West Indies of course, and had Chris Cowdrey in the side!”
That’s a bit harsh on Chris Cowdrey, though I suppose he was the theoretical alternative for Lord Beefy.
Lunch
a hundred and thirtieth over: England 658-3 (Root 259, Brook 218) Salman Agha will get a few deliveries to show, albeit in gradual movement, in the final over of the morning session. A few singles take Root and Brook’s partnership to a watch-widening 409, two wanting the all-time England report, and completes a morning session that was each quiet and form of superb.
Root and Brook went on and on and on and on like a Longpigs fan in the bathe, including 166 in 29 overs. It took Root round quarter-hour to get up, in which era he was hideously dropped by Babar Azam on 186, however after that he appeared immovable. Both batsmen made their highest Test scores, changing into solely the second English pair to make double tons of in the identical Test innings, and I actually don’t know what else to say.
“I’m a bit surprised England aren’t going all out at this stage,” says Steve Hudson. “Chugging along at five an over is decent, but surely with their firepower, and wickets in hand, they could be going all out for an early declaration and looking to force a win? (This sounds a bit ungrateful given this majestic stand, but there you are.)”
It’s textbook psychological disintegration. Break their spirit earlier than lunch, smash them in every single place in the afternoon.
129th over: England 656-3 (Root 258, Brook 217) Brook smashes a sweep in direction of deep sq., the place the fielder (not positive who it was) saves two runs with a tumbling cease on the run. In the circumstances that’s an admirable piece of fielding.
One extra over until lunch. The partnership is 407, 5 away from a brand new England report.
“Hello Rob,” says Matthew Doherty. “What happened to Bazball?”
It grew up!
128th over: England 650-3 (Root 256, Brook 213) Brook brings up the 400 partnership with a delectably nonchalant uppercut for 4 off Naseem. The May/Cowdrey padathon at Edgbaston in 1957, once they added 411 runs in about 12 days against West Indies, is in grave hazard.
“How are you doing, good buddy?” writes Robert Wilson. “I’d like to watch this cholesterol-reducing match all day but I have to get a train to Brussels (where the rain lives). Ok, this pitch is obviously all kinds of things and very much NOT all kinds of other things, and everything has the air of a Fenner’s Fill-Your-Boots session against the Combined Unis circa 1996n but this is, nonetheless, pretty stellar batting. This is the kind of partnership that, five months later, people don’t actually believe happened. The mix of those two is what the French call une ouferie (guessable) though they are less different than we imagine. It’s gotta be a titanic drag to bowl to them. They both seem to have the dogged literalism and inordinate appetite of an eight year old. I have to admit this is really hitting my special spot.”
Brook has been noticeably scientific in this innings. This may be, as Phil Walker mentioned on the Wisden pod yesterday, as a result of he’s batting with Root. You all the time need to impress the king and all that.
Joe Root makes his highest Test rating!
127th over: England 644-3 (Root 255, Brook 208) The occasional allsorts bowlers Saim Ayub comes again on. Brook chips lazily over the covers for 4, then Root drives a single to cross his earlier Test-best, the scientific 254 against Pakistan at Old Trafford in 2016. Nurse, the Wisdens!
This pitch is a whole stinker, one for the books, but I wouldn’t rule out England forcing a consequence. Pakistan look eligible for a 3rd-innings fiasco.
“If you are signing up Shaheen for the Orkney Cricket League, please can he be on my team,” says Rob Disney. “I don’t fancy facing him, even if he is a foot shorter by the end of this Test.”
Imagine what he’d do on these matting wickets on the Pickaquoy.
200 for Brook, 250 for Root!
126th over: England 637-3 (Root 253, Brook 203) Brook waves Naseem Shah for a single to succeed in a ruthless and often good double century. It’s his first in Tests and, although batting is simple on this pitch, batting for hours and hours is not. He seems to be shattered as he takes off his helmet, seems to be as much as salute his grandmother Pauline after which provides Joe Root a hug.
Root, the little scamp, reaches his 250 by reverse ramping Naseem for 4. I don’t find out about you however after the final 24 hours I really feel virtually milestone-drunk. Replays present Root truly missed that ramp, with the ball deflected for 4 off the pad, nevertheless it was given as runs.
England are having a little bit of enjoyable now. Brook tries to scoop Naseem, falls over and nonetheless will get two runs. England lead by 81.
one hundred and twenty fifth over: England 626-3 (Root 247, Brook 199) Five singles from the over, the final of which takes Brook to 199.
England have gone at virtually a run a ball at present – 134 from 24 overs – with barely a threat.
“There’s something quite poetic about these two sailing past the famous score and partnership from 2010 in Australia,” says Guy Hornsby. “Were you on the OBO then, Rob? 566 and all that, eh. Trott and Cook will be perfectly happy with that. And while I’m not sure anyone’s going to write a book about this tour, this does feel important. I can’t remember the last big score like this, and these two are into the top 10 all-time partnerships for England too. Jaw-dropping, and I’m not sure my brain can come up with anything better than that at this hour.”
124th over: England 622-3 (Root 246, Brook 196) Root performs a beautiful straight drive for 2 off Afridi, then a good higher late lower previous quick third man for 4. With the potential exception of 2021, he has by no means batted as nicely as he's proper now. His threat-administration is unfathomably good, and a collection of twos transfer him to inside eight of his highest Test rating.
