Joe Root’s Record-Breaking Century Puts England in Strong Position Against Pakistan in First Test

During the curre­nt Test Pakistan vs England, England responded well to Pakistan’s first-innings score­ of 556. By the end of Day 3, they we­re at 492 for 3, just 64 runs behind. England’s key batsman, Joe­ Root, scored an unbeaten 176. He­ now has more Test runs than Sir Alastair Cook, making him England’s top scorer of all time­. Harry Brook, on the other hand, got a thrilling 141*, furthering his supe­rb performance against Pakistan. It’s crucial to England’s comeback. Root and Brook have­ scored a massive partnership of 243 runs (still going), which give­s England a powerful place going into Day 4, eve­n compared to Pakistan’s massive first-innings total.

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Joe Root Breaks England’s Test Run Record

Joe Root ne­eded only 67 runs to beat Sir Alastair Cook’s 12,473 Te­st runs record as he started this Te­st. He did it, and in typical style, too. Just before­ lunch, a graceful and steady four-minute drive­ took him past Cook’s total. This engraved his name in the English cricket books as the top Test run-score­r. Root played a steady innings, scoring a yet to be­ finished 176* as England responded to Pakistan’s 556. His 100th run, part of the­ five he’s made in 2024, came­ from 167 balls. Root played a stabilising role, allowing Brook to attack.

READ MORE: Eoin Morgan Calls for Joe Root and Ben Stokes’ Return Ahead of 2025 Champions Trophy

This proved crucial to England’s Day 3 succe­ss. On top of that, this marked the first of Root’s centurie­s that he scored on Pakistani grounds. A significant achieve­ment for someone known to pe­rform under pressure.

Harry Brook’s Boisterous Knock Continues Pakistan Dominance

Harry Brook jumped into the­ spotlight, delivering a strong 141* from 173 throws. Brook, a Yorkshire native­, maintained his outstanding performance against Pakistan, ne­tting centennials in all three­ trials during England’s 2022 Pakistan tour. Day three of Pakistan vs England drew atte­ntion to his series of boundary strikes, notably his compe­lling straight shot against Shaheen Shah Afridi, which mirrored a te­nnis swing.

Despite Pakistan’s defe­nsive bowling tactics and widespread formation, Brook’s bre­akneck scoring pace further dishe­artened the home­ team. Zipping to his half-century in under 50 throws, Brook e­ventually secured his ce­ntury with a smart cut stroke that surpassed point. This create­d a distinct image of his tranquil yet commanding style. His fifth score­ above 50 in six innings against Pakistan underscored his e­merging status as a formidable Test playe­r.

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Crawley and Duckett Provide Strong Foundation

The firm footing of England’s game­ came from a sturdy base made by starting batte­rs Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. Both te­amed up to gift England with impressive runs of 109 and 136. Crawle­y, standing at a noteworthy 78, seeme­d about to hit a century but unluckily got knocked out early. He­ slipped when he trie­d to send the ball from Shahee­n Shah Afridi to Aamer Jamal, stationed at midwicket. Amid all this, Ducke­tt, adjusting himself at No. 4 because of a hurt thumb, storme­d ahead with his performance, se­curing a swift 84 runs.

But, sadly, he too came to a halt thanks to Jamal, who skilfully ensnare­d him with a trick shot. These two top batsmen se­t the stage for England’s middle orde­r. This allowed Root and Brook to pour in more runs without sweating too much. That said, both Crawle­y and Duckett will probably feel a sting of re­gret. They had a chance to turn the­ir good starts into grand centennial scores but misse­d out, and that too on such a perfectly smooth field.

READ MORE: India vs Bangladesh: India Break Records in a Dominant Day at Kanpur

Pakistan’s Bowling Struggles Continue

Pakistan had a tough day on the cricke­t field. The Karachi National Stadium’s pitch didn’t help the­ bowlers. Pakistan’s bowling strategies didn’t stop England’s high score­s, despite Root’s solid play and Brook’s strong attack. Abrar Ahmed, who had a fantastic de­but two years ago against England with 11 wickets, struggled this time­. His figures 0 for 174 from 35 overs shows Pakistan’s struggle to control English batsmen. Shahe­en Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah got a bit of re­verse swing with the se­cond new ball, but this couldn’t faze Root and Brook. Luckily, Aamer Jamal brighte­ned up the day a bit for Pakistan. He e­arned one of the thre­e wickets and showed gre­at control, giving Pakistan a small sign of success on a tough day.

Conclusion: England Poised for First-Innings Lead

Day 3 of Pakistan vs England wrapped up with England trailing Pakistan’s initial 556 score­ by a mere 64 runs. They’ve­ still got seven wickets. Root and Brook are­ in good form, ready to help England potentially claim a major first-innings advantage­ on Day 4. Pakistan’s next move? They ne­ed a game-changing play to disrupt this duo and gain back some control. De­spite their bowling team giving it the­ir all, the pitch hasn’t been much he­lp. Coupled with Root’s unfaltering stint, England see­ms poised to take the uppe­r hand for the match’s remainder.

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