England have taken an early lead in the three-match bilateral series after beating Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs in the opening Test match at Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday. (Day 5 Blog | More Cricket News)
England needed four more wickets on the last day and Pakistan were still trailing by 115 runs when Aamer Jamal and Salman Ali Agha resumed their batting on Day 5. Both added more than 100 runs for the seventh wicket but Jack Leach broke the partnership in 49th over.
Pakistan lost two more wickets in the next few overs. Abrar Ahmed did not come to bat and was hence England won the match to take an unassailable lead of 1-0 in the series. Aamer Jamal remained unbeaten on 55 off 104 balls.
Earlier, Pakistan opted to bat first after winning the toss in Multan. The opener batter Abdullah Shafique (102 off 184 balls) and captain Shan Masood (151 off 171 balls) proved that decision right with thumping centuries.
Saud Shakeel also played a crucial 82-run knock in the middle-order. Salman Ali Agha scored a brilliant century and remained unbeaten on 104 runs off 119 balls.
England lost their stand-in captain Ollie Pope's wicket in the second over of the first inning. Then came Joe Root, who smashed his 35th Test hundred in style to overtake Sir Alastair Cook for England's highest run-getter in Test cricket.
He made 262 off 375 balls and was involved in a 454-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Harry Brook, who smashed England's sixth triple hundred in Test cricket.
Brook made 317 runs off 322 balls with the help of 29 fours and three sixes. It was his fourth hundred on Pakistan soil in six Test innings.
With the help of Brook and Root, England took a 267-run lead in the first innings and managed to get Pakistan's six early wickets by the stumps on Day 4.
England's Jack Leach took four wickets in the second innings whereas Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse grabbed a brace of wickets each. Harry Brook was given the Player of the Match for his triple century.
England will clash with Pakistan in the second Test match at the same ground with the aim of sealing the series. The second Test match starts on Tuesday, 15 October.
