Joe Root scripted history in the Multan Test
Photo : AP
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Joe Root created history in Mutlan
- England put up a total of 823 on the board
- Root hit the 6th double century of his career
Star England batter Joe Root continued his red-hot form in Tests during the ongoing first Test between Pakistan and England at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Despite the visitors conceding 556 runs in the first innings, the 33-year-old's incredible batting effort has put the Ollie Pope-led team on the cusp of a historic victory.
Root was forced to bat at number three after an injury to Ben Duckett and walked out to the middle in the second over of the match following Pope's dismissal for a duck. Root ensured that England came out of the pressure situation with ease and made the highest Test score of his career.
After century partnerships with both Zak Crawley and Duckett, Root and Harry Brook put up a world-record partnership of 454 runs. Root made the 6th double-century of his career with a score of 262. Meanwhile, Brook hit a triple ton and scored 317 runs as England posted a massive total of 823 on the board, which helped them take a lead of 267.
Joe Root Creates History
As a result of his incredible effort in Multan, Root has become the first visiting player (as well as the first non-Asian) in history to score a double century in each of India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Previously, the ex-England skipper made double hundreds against Sri Lanka and India at Galle and Chennai respectively in 2021. Both innings had come in the space of a month and marked the start of the England batter's incredible peak in the longest format.
The only other players in history to achieve the feat are India's Virender Sehwag and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene.
Root is also the first non-Asian Batter to score three double tons in Asia. Apart from Root, six batters from outside Asia have scored two double centuries in the sub-continent.
Most Double Centuries In Asia From Visiting Batters
| Player |
Double Centuries In Asia |
| Joe Root (England) |
3 |
| Ab de Villiers (South Africa) |
2 |
| Stephan Fleming (New Zealand) |
2 |
| Rohan Kanhai (West Indies) |
2 |
| Brian Lara (West Indies) |
2 |
| Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) |
2 |
| Graeme Smith (South Africa) |
2 |
Through the course of this innings, Root became the first player to score 5000 runs in the history of the World Test Championship (WTC). He also completed 1,000 Test runs in 2024 and became the first player in the world to achieve the feat in Test cricket.
Root also surpassed Alaister Cook to become England's leading run-getter in Test cricket history and also became the first player from the country to score 12,500 runs in Tests. The 33-year-old is currently the 5th highest run-getter in Test cricket history.
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