For the first time since 1877: Joe Root and Harry Brook tear Pakistan apart and set a world script record

England continued their winning ways against Pakistan and set a new world record on the fourth day of the Multan Test. Joe Root, the country's best Test batsman, orchestrated a 454-run partnership with Harry Brook on Thursday, giving the cricket world an unprecedented record. It was the first time in the history of Test cricket since the format was introduced in 1877 that two batters as a pair put 450 runs on the board for the 4th wicket. The previous best was 449 by Adam Voges and Saun Marsh from Australia. They had already picked up points against the West Indies in Hobart in 2015.

Brook and Root's 454-run partnership is also the highest ever for a pair in Test cricket away from home, for any wicket. The previous best was 451 by Australia against England at the Oval in 1934. Root and Brook also recorded the highest partnership against Pakistan, for any team on any wicket.

However, overall, the record for the highest partnership in Test cricket is held by Mahela Jayawarden and Kumar Sangakkara, who put up a 624-run stand against South Africa in 2006.

Highest partnerships in Test cricket history:

624 – M Jayawardene & K Sangakkara (SL) vs. SA, Colombo, 2006
576 – S. Jayasuriya & R. Mahanama (SL) v. IND, Colombo, 1997
467 – Martin Crowe, Andrew Jones (NZ) v SL, Wellington, 1999
454 – Joe Root & Harry Brook (ENG) vs PAK, Multan, 2024

Root appeared to threaten Brian Lara's 400-run total, but the England star was dismissed shortly after he and Brook broke the world record for the 4th wicket. Root was dismissed by Agha Salman for 262 but his dismissal failed to stop England's winning run in the match.

Earlier on Wednesday, Root reached a major milestone in his career by overtaking Cook to become England's all-time leading Test run-scorer.

In an England Cricket video accompanying her official X-handle, Root said: “I'm proud of course, but I still feel like there's still a lot to do and a lot of runs to score.”

“I'm sure I'll look back on it when I'm done and be very proud of it, but I think what's special about it is the way we played as a team today.”

“We still have a chance to win the game, which is really exciting. Hopefully we can continue tomorrow,” he concluded.

In 350 international matches, Root has amassed over 20,000 runs in his career, including 51 centuries and 108 half-centuries.

On his record-breaking day, Root surpassed Cook not only as England's highest run-scorer in Test cricket, but also as the fifth-highest run-scorer in the history of the format.

Root has now overtaken cricketing greats such as Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara and Mahela Jayawardene, who each had 34 Test centuries, and is the sixth-highest century maker in Test history.

The all-time leading run-scorer and century maker in Test cricket is Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar with 15,921 runs in 200 Tests and 51 centuries. Root is getting closer and closer to Tendulkar's record.

With ANI inputs