PAK vs ENG | Joe Root and Harry Brook's explosive centuries put England in the driver's seat on Day 3

Debayan Sinha

ByDebayan Sinha, SportsCafe Editor

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Pakistan's bowlers faced a challenging time out in the Multan heat as England concluded Day 3 with a formidable score of 492/3. The English batters dominated proceedings, led by Joe Root's impressive 176 and Harry Brook's 141, taking England within 64 runs of first-innings parity.

‌The overnight batters Joe Root and Zak Crawley took the crease on Day 3 as Shaheen Shah Afridi began the proceedings for Pakistan. The pair started positively, rotating the strike well and building a promising partnership. However, Afridi soon broke the stand by dismissing Crawley for a well-played 78 off 85 balls. The English crowd in Multan breathed a sigh of relief when Ben Duckett, who couldn’t bat the previous day due to injury, came out to join Root. Together, they quickly added a 50-run partnership, pushing the score to 163/2 in 32 overs. Root was sublime as he surpassed 5,000 runs in the World Test Championship and reached his half-century in 76 balls. Duckett followed suit with his own fifty, placing England in a strong position. As the session progressed, the pitch slowed down and the bowlers found some reverse swing. England reached 232/4 in 45 overs, trailing by 324 runs at lunch, with Duckett and Root steering the innings forward. 

Post-lunch, Duckett was dismissed after scoring 84 runs, but Root maintained his excellent form, inching closer to yet another century. Partnering with Brook, Root propelled England's score to 317/3, with Brook contributing a half-century. Despite the Pakistan bowlers—both pace and spin—putting in their utmost effort on a pitch showing signs of wear, the English batters continued to assert their dominance. A significant milestone was reached in the 63rd over when Root secured his 35th Test century, marking his fifth ton of the year. This achievement brought a wave of joy to the England dugout. The duo forged a 102-run partnership, lifting England's score to 351/3 and reducing the deficit to 205 runs as tea was called.

In the final session of the day, Root and Brook continued their dominant display, with the hosts doing their utmost to break the partnership. Root left no stone unturned, scoring occasional boundaries and taking singles. In the process, he reached 150 runs off 235 deliveries, while Brook completed his century in 188 balls. Their partnership blossomed to an impressive 222 runs, propelling England to 471/3 and trailing by just 85 runs. The day concluded with England at 492/3, trailing by 64 runs, with Root batting at 176 runs and Brook on 141 runs. 

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