"Was trying to get past Root...": Harry Brook on historic triple ton during the first Test match against Pakistan

Harry Brook (Pic: File Pic)

Speaking about his iconic partnership with double-centurion Joe Root during the first Test match against Pakistan, England batsman Harry Brook said that he was trying to surpass Root's score and this is what kept him going.

It was record-breaking left and right during day four of the first Test against Pakistan at Multan as batters Harry Brook and Joe Root starred with a 454-run partnership, breaking the 67-year-old record for the highest partnership by an English pair.

In their run stand of 454 runs, Joe Root scored 262 runs and Harry Brook smashed 317 runs which broke many records.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the innings, Brook said, "It feels pretty good. And I'm just glad the team is in a strong position to win the game tomorrow. We had a lot of fun out there. It was hot and hard work but we enjoyed it."

On what kept him going, Brook said, "Trying to get past him [Root]. It was a good wicket. I just wanted to cash in as much as possible."

Also Read: "Not going in with pre-determined mindset has helped Smiriti and me", says Shafali Verma

Talking about his new-found fitness, Brook said that it has made a massive difference as he has shifted from reaching 150 and slogging to playing more calculated innings.

Brook's triple century came in 310 balls, which is the fastest by an English batter and overall second-fastest, next to Indian great Virender Sehwag's triple ton in 278 balls against South Africa in 2008 at Chennai.

With this, Harry Brook became the sixth England batsman to reach the score of 300 runs. The other English batters to score a triple century were Leonard Hutton (364 vs Australia in 1938), Wally Hammond (336' vs New Zealand in 1933), Graham Gooch (333 vs India in 1990), Andy Sandham (325 vs West Indies in 1930), and John Endrich (310' vs New Zealand in 1965).

With this innings, Brook also became the fifth batter to score a triple century against Pakistan after Garry Sobers of West Indies (365' in 1958), David Warner of Australia (335' in 2019), Mark Taylor of Australia (334' in 1998), and Virender Sehwag of India (309 in 2004).

The partnership of 454 runs between Brook and Root is England's highest partnership in Tests, breaking the record established by Colin Cowdrey and Peter May against West Indies in 1957, with 411 runs. It is also the biggest partnership against Pakistan in Tests, outdoing West Indies' Conrad Hunte and Garry Sobers' 446-run partnership back in 1958.

This partnership is also the fourth-highest partnership in Test cricket, with the biggest one being a 624-run stand between Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara for Sri Lanka against South Africa in 2006 at Colombo.

Also, Brook's triple ton and Joe Root's double ton is only third instance of two players scoring 250-plus runs in the same Test innings, with (West Indies' Conrad Hunte (260) & Garry Sobers (365) vs Pakistan, 1958) and Sri Lanka's Jayawardene (374) and Sangakkara (287) against South Africa in 2006) being other two.

(With ANI Inputs)