• PAK vs ENG Day 3 of the first Test ended with England at 492/3.
• Joe Root and Harry Brook contributed a solid 141 not out, propelling England forward.
• Root and Brook’s partnership saw 12 boundaries and one six, surpassing Alastair Cook on the all-time Test run-scorers list.

The first Test between Pakistan and England in Multan ended Day 3 with England at 492/3, still 64 runs behind Pakistan’s first innings total of 556. Joe Root remained unbeaten with a masterful 176, while Harry Brook contributed a solid 141 not out, propelling England forward on Wednesday.

Root and Brook’s partnership saw 12 boundaries and one towering six. Root, who had reached his 65th Test half-century earlier with a precise inside edge, also managed to surpass Alastair Cook on the all-time Test run-scorers list, now ranking just behind legends like Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, and Sachin Tendulkar. Meanwhile, Brook achieved his sixth Test century, and fourth against Pakistan, with eight boundaries and one six, reaching the milestone in only 118 balls.

England resumed the day on 96/1, following Pakistan’s imposing total on a flat pitch. Early in the session, Zak Crawley, who scored 78, was dismissed by Shaheen Afridi after a 109-run stand for the second wicket, caught by Aamer Jamal at mid-wicket.

Ben Duckett, recovering from a thumb injury, batted aggressively, striking three boundaries off Abrar Ahmed in one over and scoring a rapid fifty off 45 balls. England maintained a run-rate above five an over as Pakistan’s bowlers—Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Aamer Jamal—each took one wicket on the day.

The spirited performance by Root and Brook leaves England trailing but well within reach of Pakistan’s first-innings total as the Test heads into Day 4.

Playing XI

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmad

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir

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