England’s Joe Root and Harry Brook Set New World Record with 454-Run Partnership Against Pakistan

In a historic moment for Test cricket, England’s Joe Root and Harry Brook achieved a 454-run partnership against Pakistan in the Multan Test, setting a new world record on Day 4. This achievement marks the first occasion since Test cricket’s inception in 1877 that two batters have amassed 450 runs for the fourth wicket. The previous record, held by Australia’s Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh, was set against the West Indies in Hobart in 2015 with a score of 449 runs.

The partnership between Root and Brook is not only the highest for any wicket away from home in Test cricket but also the largest against Pakistan, as reported in cricket statistics. This record situates them just behind Sri Lankan legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who set the overall highest partnership record of 624 runs against South Africa in Colombo in 2006.

Root, who seemed poised to challenge Brian Lara‘s individual record of 400 runs, was eventually dismissed for 262 by Pakistan’s Agha Salman. Despite his dismissal, England’s innings continued to dominate, reflecting the team’s strong performance in the Multan Test.

The Test match saw Root reaching a significant career milestone by surpassing Alastair Cook to become England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer. In a video shared by England Cricket, Root expressed his pride in this achievement while emphasizing the importance of the team’s efforts. “We have still got an opportunity to win the game, which is really exciting. Hopefully, we can kick on tomorrow,” he stated.

With over 20,000 international runs, 51 centuries, and 108 half-centuries across 350 matches, Root has solidified his place among the greats of cricket. He has exceeded the century counts of cricketing icons such as Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, and even his former Sri Lankan counterpart, Mahela Jayawardene, positioning himself as the sixth-highest century-maker in Test history.

Root now trails only cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar, who holds the record as the all-time leading run-scorer with 15,921 runs and 51 centuries in 200 Test matches. Root continues to demonstrate his prowess on the field, contributing significantly to England’s record-breaking performances in Test cricket.