Multan: England’s Joe Root delivered an outstanding performance in the first Test against Pakistan in Multan, scoring his 35th Test century and moving within one hundred of matching Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid’s record. On Wednesday, Root remained unbeaten at 176, leading England to a strong position of 492/3 at the close of the third day in response to Pakistan’s 556.
According to International Cricket Council, Root’s latest century not only places him sixth on the list of most Test centuries but also surpasses the totals of cricket greats like Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, and Mahela Jayawardena. With 35 Test centuries, he is now just one shy of Rahul Dravid’s 36, positioning him among the elite with only five players ahead of him in the historical rankings.
Root’s innings also marked a significant milestone as he became the fifth-highest run scorer in Test cricket, amassing 12,578 runs and surpassing former England captain Alastair Cook. His performance highlighted a day dominated by England’s batters, with teammate Harry Brook also scoring an unbeaten 141, contributing to an unbroken partnership of 243 runs with Root.
The day saw England’s batters take control, with opener Zak Crawley and No. 4 Ben Duckett being the only wickets to fall. Pakistani bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Aamer Jamal each took a wicket, but struggled to contain the English lineup.