MULTAN – Joe Root and Harry Brook scored centuries as England ended day three of the first Test match on 492 for three in 101 overs against Pakistan at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The touring side are still trailing by 64 runs with seven first-innings wickets in hand.
Resuming their first innings at the overnight score of 96 for one in 20 overs, Zak Crawley (64) and Root (32) started proceedings on day three. Crawley managed to add only 14 runs to his overnight score and was dismissed in the 25th over by Shaheen Shah Afridi, ending the 109-run second-wicket partnership.
Ben Duckett then joined Root in the middle and the pair knitted a 136-run partnership for the third wicket. Duckett was adjudged leg-before-wicket by Aamir Jamal after scoring a quick-fire 84 off 75 balls, including 11 boundaries.
With the scorecard reading 249 for three in 49.4 overs, Brook and Root got together and stitched an unbroken 243-run stand for the fourth wicket. Over the course of the partnership, Brook brought up his sixth Test century, while Root continued his brilliant form and brought-up his 35th Test century.
Brook returned undefeated on 141 off 173 balls, including 12 fours and a six, while Root was unbeaten on 176 off 277 balls, hitting 12 fours.
For Pakistan, Aamir, Naseem and Shaheen snapped a wicket each.
Scores in brief:
Pakistan 556 all out, 149 overs (Shan Masood 151, Salman Ali Agha 104 not out, Abdullah Shafique 102, Saud Shakeel 82, Naseem Shah 33, Babar Azam 30, Shaheen Shah Afridi 26; Jack Leach 3-160, Brydon Carse 2-74, Gus Atkinson 2-99)
England 492-3, 101 overs (Joe Root 176 not out, Harry Brook 141 not out, Ben Duckett 84, Zak Crawley 78; Aamir Jamal 1-78, Naseem Shah 1-87, Shaheen Shah Afridi 1-88)
