England break record, post highest-ever innings total against Pakistan

Multan : England have now posted the highest ever innings total against Pakistan by any team, as the visitors accumulated more than 800 runs on the fourth day of the first Test match against Pakistan in Multan.This is the second time in cricket history that any team has scored more than 700 runs in a Test match against Pakistan.Earlier, West Indies scored 790-3 against the Men in Green in 1958. This is the first time in the 21st century that a team has scored 800 runs, and only the fourth time in cricket Test history.The last time Sri Lanka surpassed this landmark figure as they made 952-6 against India in 1997.Whereas, England twice scored above 800 earlier. Once, England made 849 against the West Indies in 1930 and then 903 against Australia in 1938.So, three of the four 800-plus runs in cricket belong to England.Meanwhile, in today’s match, England declared the innings at 823-7 after Harry Brook (317) and Joe Root (262) led the charge against the Green Shirts on the fourth day of the first Test.Root, who eclipsed Alastair Cook as England’s top test run-scorer, picked up from where he left off on Wednesday and became the first batsman from his country to make 20,000 international runs in the morning session with a driven boundary.The former captain was handed a reprieve on 186 when Babar Azam dropped the simplest of catches at mid-wicket, and he made the most of it to reach his sixth double century with a single before celebrating by kissing the badge on his helmet.In reaching the milestone, Root went past Cook again with only Wally Hammond ahead of him in England’s list with seven double tons.Brook then became the latest member of the club to delight the travelling English fans, who stayed on their feet to cheer when Root eased to his 250 with a scooped boundary in the same over bowled by Naseem Shah.