England declare at 823-7 after Brook triple century in Multan

(AFP): England declared their first innings at a mammoth 823-7 before tea on the fourth day of the opening test against Pakistan on Thursday for a lead of 267 runs.

Harry Brook notched up a superb 317 and Joe Root hit 262 as both batsmen made their highest test scores on the flat wicket at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

The 25-year-old Brook clubbed a four-off spinner Saim Ayub to become the sixth Englishman to score 300 or more in Test cricket, achieving the feat off 310 balls, with 28 fours and three sixes.

Andy Sandham of England was the first batsman to score a triple hundred in Test cricket, scoring 325 against the West Indies at Kingston in 1930.

Other Englishmen to score 300 are Len Hutton (364), Wally Hammond (336 not out), Graham Gooch (333 not out) and Bill Edrich (310 not out).

Brook has made rapid strides at the international level since making his debut in 2022.

He knocked three centuries against Pakistan in 2022 — in only his second series, which England won 3-0.

England declare with a lead of 267 runs ?

Pakistan's second innings will commence shortly.#PAKvENG | #TestAtHome pic.twitter.com/iTqboWwUZW

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 10, 2024

Brook’s senior partner Joe Root was unlucky not to reach his maiden triple century as he was trapped leg-before by spinner Agha Salman for 262 soon after lunch.

England resumed on 492-3 and looked for quick runs, which Root and Brook provided despite Pakistan’s defensive leg-side bowling, adding 166 runs in 29 overs in the session.

Root, who went past Alastair Cook’s 12,472 to become England’s highest Test run scorer on Wednesday, broke his previous best of 254 which he had also scored against Pakistan at Manchester in 2016.

Pakistan’s only chance came in the first hour when Root, on 186, failed to keep down a pull shot off pace bowler Naseem Shah but Babar Azam shelled the regulation chance at mid-wicket.

Pakistan were without frontline spinner Abrar Ahmed who suffered a fever and did not take the field on Thursday.