Joe Root’s Masterful Double Century Highlights England’s Command over Pakistan in Multan Test

Joe Root, England’s esteemed batsman, delivered a remarkable double century against Pakistan during the opening Test match at Multan Cricket Stadium. This achievement underscored his exceptional skills and composed demeanor under pressure. Root capitalized on an early mishap, a dropped catch by Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam, which allowed him to reach his double ton off 305 balls with meticulous precision, including 14 boundaries.

The dropped catch occurred in the fourth over of the day when Root, resuming his innings at 176, played a pull shot off a delivery by Pakistan’s young pacer Naseem Shah. The ball was directed straight towards Babar Azam at mid-wicket, but the simple catch was fumbled, much to Naseem’s visible frustration.

Root’s accomplishment placed him among cricket greats such as Ricky Ponting and Younis Khan, who also have multiple Test double centuries to their names. Root’s emotional celebration upon reaching this milestone highlighted its significance, as he kissed his helmet’s badge and acknowledged the support from the crowd.

Despite England’s towering first innings total, Pakistan’s response faltered as they faced a significant deficit. The team’s collapse in their second innings drew criticism from former cricketer Basit Ali. Basit criticized captain Babar Azam’s ongoing personal performance slump, suggesting that a break from cricket might be necessary for him to regain form.

Pakistan’s struggles in Multan were further compounded by a dominant performance from England’s Harry Brook and Joe Root, whose partnership set a new record. Brook’s impressive 317 runs, combined with Root’s 262, elevated England to a commanding 823-7 before declaring.

In response, Pakistan ended the day at 152-6, with batsmen Agha Salman and Aamer Jamal attempting to mount resistance against England’s bowling attack. The match highlights the critical impact of fielding errors and the pressure of high-stakes cricket.