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PAK vs ENG Test-1 Day 4: Clouds of defeat hover over Pakistan

England require only four more wickets to secure an innings victory over Pakistan.

On the fourth day of the Multan Test, England declared their first innings at 823 runs in response to Pakistan’s 556, gaining a significant lead of 267 runs.

However, in their second innings, Pakistan’s batting lineup crumbled against the English bowlers, resembling a sandcastle under pressure, as half of the team returned to the pavilion with just 59 runs on the scoreboard.

This performance highlights the challenges faced by the Pakistani team in the match.

After England’s bowlers dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup, all-rounders Salman Ali Agha and Aamer Jamal managed to salvage the situation for the hosts, finishing day four at Multan Cricket Stadium with a score of 152 for six.

The visitors set a new highest total in 86 years, thanks to Harry Brook’s triple century and Joe Root’s double ton, declaring at 823 for seven. They require only four more wickets to secure an innings victory over Pakistan.

The Pakistani top order struggled in their second innings, ending day four trailing England by 115 runs, with the tourists positioned for a notable win following a monumental batting performance.

“There’s a real chance for a result in this game. We have a lot of hard work ahead, but based on our performance so far in this test match, we have a genuine opportunity tomorrow if we execute well,” Root commented.

At stumps, Agha (40) and Jamal (27) were at the crease, with England firmly in control as they headed into the final day.

With a 267-run lead, Chris Woakes struck with his first ball, dismissing a fatigued Abdullah Shafique, who had fielded for 150 overs, with a delivery that rattled his off stump. Gus Atkinson quickly followed, taking the wickets of captain Shan Masood and Babar Azam, whose struggles continued, failing to score a fifty in his last nine tests.

Brydon Carse made an immediate impact by dismissing Saim Ayub with his first ball, leading to Pakistan slipping to 59 for five after cleaning up Mohammad Rizwan. Saud Shakeel fell caught behind off Jack Leach before Agha and Jamal put together an unbeaten partnership of 70 runs.

Fourth-Highest Score

Resuming at 492-3, England surpassed Pakistan’s total of 556, establishing a substantial first-innings lead of 267 runs, largely thanks to Brook’s remarkable 317 and Root’s impressive 262, as they wore down the weary hosts on yet another scorching day.

This marked the highest score for both batsmen during their 454-run partnership—the fourth-highest in Test history—on the flat surface at Multan Cricket Stadium. It also stands as the highest partnership in England’s Test history.

Root commented, “The way Harry has played, especially how quickly he scored after reaching 200, has put us in a very strong position, making it a lot of fun out there.”

He noted the challenges of playing in unfamiliar heat, saying, “We’re facing conditions that are quite foreign to us; we don’t often play in heat like this. There are different skills to manage, like reverse swing, which require a slightly different balance compared to what we encounter back in the UK.”

Root eventually fell lbw in the second session to a delivery from Agha that kept low.

Meanwhile, Brook accelerated his scoring to achieve the second-fastest triple century in history, reaching the milestone in just 310 balls, becoming the sixth Englishman to do so.

He is also England’s first triple centurion in 34 years. Notably, six bowlers conceded over 100 runs for only the second time in Test history.

The record-breaking partnership also marked only the third instance where two players scored more than 250 runs in a single Test innings.

Marathon Innings

Brook’s lengthy innings came to an end when Masood caught a mistimed sweep off Ayub.

Root, who surpassed Alastair Cook as England’s leading Test run-scorer on Wednesday, continued his form and became the first player from England to reach 20,000 international runs in the morning session with a driven boundary.

The former captain was dropped on 186 and capitalized on the chance, reaching his sixth double-century with a single before celebrating by kissing the badge on his helmet.

In achieving this milestone, Root moved past Cook again, trailing only Wally Hammond in England’s history with seven double tons.

Brook then delighted the visiting fans, who cheered as Root progressed to his 250 with a scooped boundary in the same over bowled by Naseem Shah.

Replays indicated the ball had hit the flap of Root’s back pad, but the 33-year-old did not complain, going on to surpass his previous best of 254 before being dismissed shortly after lunch.

Playing XI

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmad

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir

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