Pakistan is hosting England in a three-match Test series, taking place in the historic city of Multan. Day 4 of the Test match has brought some exciting moments and important plays. Here’s a straightforward review of the day’s highlights and key performances.
Day 4, Session 1, The high-scoring test match reached day 4 with Joe Root and Harry Brook batting in the middle. The weather was hotter than the previous day. England started the day on 492/3, with both centurions unbeaten. The Pakistan bowlers began their innings with good tight length, but despite close calls and appeals, luck did not favour them. England started with a defensive play but then switched to their typical aggressive approach, with Harry Brook reaching his 150 and Root scoring a double-century. England took the lead over Pakistan, with Pakistan toiling hard while England was in the driver's seat. Harry Brook achieved his first-ever double century in his career, and both Root and Brook became the second English pair to score double centuries in the same innings. Root then reached 250 runs. By the end of the session, England had a solid 106-run lead, having scored 166 runs in 29 overs. Once again, England comfortably won the session.
Day 4, Session 2, England had a healthy lead and looked more dangerous. The session began with a record-breaking partnership between Root and Brook, as they now hold the record for the highest partnership in test cricket with 454 runs. Pakistan finally got rid of the dangerous Root as Salman got him LBW for 262 runs. Root received a standing ovation from the crowd for his outstanding innings. Jamie Smith then formed another partnership with Brook, who was nearing his triple hundred and was smashing sixes for fun. Brook reached his triple hundred with a four and was celebrating wildly, with some Pakistan players congratulating him. The scoreboard kept moving and the lead reached more than 200. Harry Brook was dismissed by Saim Ayub for 317 after propelling the score near 800. This inning of Harry Brook will enter the record book as the crowd in Pakistan witnessed another outstanding inning. Finally, England declared with 823/7, holding a healthy lead of 267 runs on the board. It was a breath-taking display from the England batters as they made the Pakistan bowlers run out of choices. Pakistan came out to bat with 6 overs remaining before lunch. Woakes came in straight away and dismissed Shafique for a golden duck as the stump went cartwheeling. It was not the start Pakistan would have imagined. They managed to survive the overs before lunch, and at the end of the session, Pakistan scored 23/1. England won this session too.
Day 4, Session 3: The final session of the day's play began with Pakistan trailing by 234 runs. At the crease were Pakistan Captain Shan Masood and Saim Ayub. The session took a turn for the worse as Masood was dismissed by Atkinson, and caught by Crawley. Both centurions from the previous innings were now out, leaving Pakistan in deep trouble. Babar Azam, Pakistan's star batter, stepped in, but his poor test match form continued as he was dismissed by Gus Atkinson after scoring only 5 runs off 15 balls. With the quick fall of Saim Ayub and Rizwan, Pakistan found themselves at 59/4. However, a 70-run unbeaten partnership between Aamer Jamal and Agha Salmaan brought some relief to Pakistan, ending the day's play at 152/6, still 115 runs behind. With fifteen overs left in the day, Pakistan seemed unsure of their strategy. England won this session and are now the favourites to win the test.
Score Summary: England - 823/7 (Harry Brook - 317, Joe Root - 262),
Pakistan - 556 & 152/6(Agha Salman - 41*, Saud Shakeel - 29) - Pakistan Trail by 115 Runs.
It’s surprising to witness Pakistan letting this Test slip away after a solid first innings score. Moreover, the pitch curators have not been favourable to the home team. England now stands as the clear favourite to clinch victory unless Pakistan can pull off a remarkable turnaround in the final day’s play. The pressure is on for Pakistan to deliver a miracle and keep their hopes alive.
