England shattered records in the first Test against Pakistan in Multan, amassing a staggering 823 runs in response to the hosts’ first innings total of 307. This monumental effort secured a commanding 267-run lead and showcased the visitors’ aggressive batting prowess.
Former captain Joe Root led the charge with a masterful double century, while young talent Harry Brook etched his name in history by becoming the sixth Englishman to score a triple century in Test cricket. Their monumental 393-run partnership stands as the highest ever for England in Test history.
However, the extraordinary run-fest has sparked criticism of the Multan pitch, with many deeming it excessively batter-friendly. Former England captain Nasser Hussain went so far as to suggest, with a touch of irony, that “If a batsman misses three balls, he should be declared out on this track.”
Hussain lauded Brook and Root for their unflinching fitness and stubbornness levels on a record-breaking day four for the visitors.
“That’s one thing maybe this side has been criticised for with the bat, is that they’ve not been ruthless. Forget the conditions and forget the pitch, it’s one of the flattest pitches that we’ve ever seen really, but they were definitely ruthless. And in their own special way. How you can score 820 in 150 overs and still be ruthless? This side has managed to do that.”
“Duckett and Crawley bat the way they do, Root did not change the tempo of the way he bats. Of anyone who has got over 250, his boundary percentage was the lowest, which just shows his level of fitness and the nature of his ruthless batting that we’ve seen for a number of years,” he said.
“The same with Brook. He could have easily got to 150 and thought, ‘You know what, I’m exhausted,’ and played some fancy shot and slog it straight up in the air. He didn’t, he never did that, and neither of them did. You have to admire their fitness but also their stubbornness to a degree. It’s a really good sign that this side, with all their attacking instinct, can go on and amass such a big score,” said Hussain on Sky Sports Cricket.
(With Agency Inputs)
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