England’s batter Harry Brook and veteran Joe Root made history on the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan, breaking a long-standing England partnership record with an extraordinary stand of 454 runs. The duo surpassed the previous mark of 411 set by Colin Cowdrey and Peter May 57 years ago, as they led England to a commanding 823-7 declared, the fourth-highest total in Test history.
Brook, who became England’s first triple-centurion in 34 years, shared his excitement about the milestone, noting that neither he nor Root was initially aware of the record they had broken.
“We asked each other what the record was,” Brook told BBC Test Match Special. “We didn’t know what it was.”
Brook’s remarkable knock of 317 was the first 300-plus score for an England batter since Graham Gooch achieved the feat in 1990, marking only the sixth time an England player had reached the milestone.
Their partnership with fellow Yorkshireman Root set a new global record for the highest fourth-wicket stand in Test cricket, and also the best partnership in Test history by any pair playing away from home.
Brook and Root’s partnership of 454 runs came in just 522 balls, compared to the 1,140 deliveries faced by May and Cowdrey in their previous record-breaking stand. Root, reflecting on their achievement, emphasized the enjoyment of playing with Brook.
“I think we keep each other going,” Root, 33, said. “We have a good laugh out there together. We’ve played a lot of cricket together for Yorkshire and for England, and he makes you laugh, sometimes without even trying. He’s fun to play with.”
The duo’s partnership dominated Pakistan’s bowling attack, with Brook reaching his triple century in just 310 balls—making it the second-fastest Test triple hundred, behind only Virender Sehwag’s 278-ball effort.
In addition to the partnership record, England’s innings featured another rare feat: it was only the third time in Test history that two batters had scored 250 or more in the same innings. The innings also saw just one maiden over bowled across 150 overs, setting a new record for the fewest maidens in an innings lasting 100 overs or more.
As Pakistan finished the day struggling at 152-6, England moved closer to securing a remarkable victory, with Brook and Root’s record-breaking partnership serving as the foundation for a historic performance in Multan.
