On Day 4 of the Multan Test, England continued their impressive form against Pakistan, establishing a world record. Joe Root, England’s leading Test run-scorer, formed a remarkable 454-run partnership with Harry Brook, achieving a milestone previously unseen in Test cricket since its inception in 1877. This partnership marks the first time two batsmen have scored 450 runs together for the fourth wicket, surpassing the former record of 449 runs set by Australia’s Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh against West Indies in Hobart in 2015.
Additionally, Root and Brook’s 454-run partnership is now the highest for any wicket in Test matches played away from home, breaking the previous record of 451 set by Australia against England in 1934. They also recorded the highest partnership against Pakistan in Test cricket history, regardless of the wicket involved. Nevertheless, the overall Test cricket partnership record belongs to Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who combined for an extraordinary 624-run stand against South Africa in 2006.
Top Partnerships in Test Cricket History:
- 624 – M Jayawardene & K Sangakkara (SL) vs SA, Colombo, 2006
- 576 – S Jayasuriya & R Mahanama (SL) vs IND, Colombo, 1997
- 467 – Martin Crowe & Andrew Jones (NZ) vs SL, Wellington, 1999
- 454 – Joe Root & Harry Brook (ENG) vs PAK, Multan, 2024
Although Root seemed poised to challenge Brian Lara’s record of 400 runs, he was dismissed for 262 by Agha Salman shortly after setting the new 4th wicket partnership record. However, this dismissal did not stop England’s momentum in the match.
Earlier, Root reached a significant career milestone by overtaking Alastair Cook to become England’s all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket. In a video shared by England Cricket on their X account, Root expressed pride in his achievement but emphasized that he still has more to strive for. “I feel there’s plenty more left to do, plenty of runs to get,” he stated. He also highlighted the team’s performance as the standout factor of the day and noted the excitement of having a chance to win the game.
With over 20,000 runs, 51 centuries, and 108 half-centuries in 350 international matches, Root’s record-breaking day placed him as the fifth-highest run-scorer in Test history. He has now moved ahead of legends like Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, and Mahela Jayawardene, becoming the sixth-highest century maker in the format. The all-time leading run-scorer and century maker is Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, with 15,921 runs across 200 Tests and 51 centuries, a record Root is steadily approaching.
