Pakistan 23-1 after Brooks triple hundred takes England to 823-7 – Sport

Pakistan had a record of 23-1 on day four and were struggling to avoid an innings defeat after Harry Brooks' 371 and Joe Root's 262 propelled England to a mammoth score of 823-7 in the first Test on Thursday.

Brook and Root scored 454 for the fourth wicket as England posted the fourth-highest innings in Test cricket history before Chris Woakes bowled opener Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of their second innings.

Saim Ayub and captain Shan Masood – who were twice left behind by England fielders – were unbeaten on 13 and 10 respectively, with Pakistan still needing 244 to get England back to bat. Brook and Root enjoyed a run-fest on the flat pitch of the Multan Stadium and both posted career-best scores, giving England a lead of 267 ahead of Pakistan's first innings total of 556.

Brook, 25, hit a four-off spinner Saim Ayub to become the sixth Englishman to score 300 or more in Test cricket. He achieved this feat with 310 balls, 28 fours and three sixes.

Andy Sandham of England became the first batsman to score a triple hundred in Test cricket, scoring 325 against the West Indies at Kingston in 1930.

Other Englishmen to score 300 points include Len Hutton (364), Wally Hammond (336 not out), Graham Gooch (333 not out) and Bill Edrich (310 not out).

Brook has made great strides at international level since his debut in 2022. In 2022, he hit three centuries against Pakistan – in just his second series, which England won 3-0.

Brooks senior partner Joe Root was unlucky not to reach his maiden triple century as he was caught for 262 by spinner Agha Salman soon after lunch.

England continued at 492-3, looking for quick runs, which Root and Brook provided despite Pakistan's defensive leg-side bowling, adding 166 runs in 29 overs in the session.

Root, who surpassed Alastair Cook's 12,472 on Wednesday to become England's highest Test run-scorer, surpassed his previous record of 254, which he also scored against Pakistan in Manchester in 2016.

Pakistan's only chance came in the first hour when Root, making 186, failed to fend off a pull shot from pace bowler Naseem Shah, but Babar Azam took the regular chance at mid-wicket.

Pakistan were without top player Abrar Ahmed, who was suffering from fever and did not take the field on Thursday.