by Rex Clementine
England have just wrapped up a thrilling Test match in Multan, pulling off a remarkable feat in the heart of Pakistan’s cricketing cauldron.
Despite conceding a towering 552 runs in the first innings, England clawed their way back to snatch an innings victory, proving once again that the English resilient determination is alive and kicking.
While England ride the wave of a heart-pounding comeback, Pakistan are left staring down the barrel, scrambling for answers if they’re to salvage some pride and avoid another 3-0 whitewash like the one England dealt them two years back. That series was a nail-biter, but this time, it’s shaping up to be a lopsided affair—unless Pakistan pull themselves up by their bootstraps, address some glaring issues, and show some much-needed grit.
Records tumbled as the game unfolded, with the spotlight firmly on Harry Brook’s sensational triple hundred. The Yorkshireman became only the sixth English player to notch up a triple ton in Test cricket and the first to do so since Graham Gooch’s historic knock 34 years ago.
England have seen their fair share of batting maestros since Gooch—Graham Thorpe, Sir Alastair Cook, Joe Root—but none managed to scale the triple-century mountain. Brook, though, has crossed this milestone at the ripe age of 25 and seems poised to join the pantheon of cricketing greats.
Root, meanwhile, played a sterling innings, posting a career-best 262 and leapfrogging Cook (12,472) to become England’s highest run-scorer. Could he possibly break Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time Test run record of 15,921? With just 3,257 runs standing between Root and cricketing immortality, and with England’s packed Test calendar and his own rich vein of form, the chase doesn’t seem out of reach.
Root and Brook’s marathon partnership of 454 runs has now etched its place in England’s cricketing annals, setting the record for the highest stand for any wicket in Tests—a milestone made even sweeter by the fact that they offered just one chance along the way. And in a proud Test history stretching back 147 years, this achievement is a testament to England’s resilience and ambition. Truly extraordinary.
While the batters hogged the limelight, Jack Leach quietly made his mark, finishing with seven wickets in the match. It’s been a rough patch for the left-arm spinner; England had opted for Leach’s Somerset teammate Shoaib Bashir during the summer, but now, with his comeback, Leach showed he’s got plenty left in the tank, while Bashir managed just one wicket. Did England miss a trick by benching him earlier?
Pakistan, meanwhile, are in hot water. After some hasty reactions, the Pakistan Cricket Board revamped the selection panel, roping in four more selectors, including the respected former umpire Aleem Dar. The selection committee now has 11 members—seven with voting power and four without—a peculiar setup for a team in turmoil.
Shan Masood, the charming but luckless captain, has now lost all six of his Tests at the helm and is skating on thin ice. Pakistan, in a historic first, became the only team to lose a Test match by an innings after posting over 500 runs—an unimaginable outcome that highlights the challenges facing this team.
The form of former skipper Babar Azam is also casting a long shadow. A modern-day icon, Babar hasn’t crossed fifty in his last 18 Test innings—a worrying drought for a player of his caliber. His team needs him to snap out of this rough patch and play the role of saviour, as he’s done countless times before.
The stage is set for the second Test in Multan, followed by the final showdown in Rawalpindi. The clock is ticking for Pakistan to find its fighting spirit and stop the English juggernaut in its tracks.
