From Multan to Monmouthshire, it was quite a day for the Root family. As Joe Root humbly acknowledged becoming England’s highest Test runs scorer in Pakistan, thousands of miles away in south Wales his brother Billy was preparing for his wedding day.

Proud dad Matt was about to set off from Sheffield to Usk for Billy’s nuptials when he told the BBC: “As they say in Yorkshire, I’m chuffed to bits.”

It was Matt who started his son’s journey to the top of English cricket when he put a cardboard bat in baby Joe’s moses basket 33 years ago, so it was appropriate he scaled the greatest peak of all with a stroke honed in the family garden: a high-elbowed on drive for four.

There are many different trips of a lifetime you can go on around the world in 22 days. But not many would be better than watching the whole 22.6 days Root spent at the crease for England between facing his first ball 12 years ago to the moment he cracked Aamer Jamal down towards the cotton fields at the Waqar Younis End of the Multan International Stadium.

The shot took Root to 71 not out, 12,473 Test runs and beyond Sir Alastair Cook’s record. He waived his right hand to the smattering of England fans before awkwardly raising his bat to his team-mates; modesty being a Root quality.

Root knew a pretty 70 or 80 was not enough for an England facing Pakistan’s first innings 556. So he retook guard like he had thousands of times before and converted his innings into 176, battling heat and cramp in making his 35th Test hundred and first in Pakistan.

At the close, Root walked slowly off to have a long lie down as a glorious sunset bathed the ground and black kites swirled high in the air, looking to swoop down on the outfield like Root picking off one the many singles he had run on a perfect day for England, when they scored 395 for two and Harry Brook compiled a superb hundred as well.

Root’s century started the process of putting the record out of reach possibly forever. It is only the fourth time the baton has been passed in four decades since Geoffrey Boycott overtook Colin Cowdrey. David Gower took it off Boycott. Next came Graham Gooch and Cook. Before Boycott and Cowdrey it was Wally Hammond and Jack Hobbs. After James Anderson’s 700th Test wicket earlier this year it feels like we have witnessed history that will never be repeated.

Those 22.6 days of batting break down into 32,489 minutes and 541.5 hours of concentration in sport’s toughest mental challenge – Test cricket. This innings was no different, Root has batted for eight hours and one minute so far in stultifying conditions. His muted celebrations were understandable. Why waste energy on frippery in stifling heat? Brook was the same. He marked the fifth hundred of the Test with barely a raise of the bat. Their ruthless batting put England in sight of parity at 492 for three.

Brook is the one modern player who could one day steal Root’s record. This was his fourth hundred in four Tests in Pakistan, equalling the record for an overseas batsman, and there was only one alarm when a short ball ricocheted off the grille, dropped down and nudged the stumps without dislodging the bails.

Brook was on 75 and for bowlers toiling on a dog of a pitch, it was a crushing piece of bad luck. Brook has studied Root since he was a youngster and copied him here. Brook only scored one four and six in his second fifty, Root just eight boundaries in his first 100. This was batting precision. Root ran seven threes, 16 twos and 75 singles. Brook was just as industrious, running 77 of his unbeaten 141. No wonder they were gasping for air.

The busyness enabled England to rattle along at almost five an over and keep the dim prospect of a result alive. England will fancy building a quick lead and then seeing how Pakistan react. Their house can blow down in the slightest breeze.

Root shared century stands with Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Brook. The two Yorkshireman had put on 243 at 4.7 an over by the close, chugging energy gels to keep them going. Root hopped around with cramp and while Brook scampered up the pavilion steps two at a time at tea, Root leaned on his bat as a crutch as he made a more weary trudge to the dressing room.

Both batsmen needed a drinks break just three overs into the evening session but Brook kept his concentration, reaching his hundred off 118 balls. It was his best paced innings for England, a mature sixth Test hundred.

Despite tiredness, Root went past 150 with a glorious cover drive and Brook brought up the 200 stand with an equally flowing shot through the off side. England targeted the spinners. Leggie Abrar Ahmed went for 50 off his first seven overs and Root was so confident he even took guard as a left-hander against him. Naseem Shah tried to engage Root in some verbals while Shaheen Shah Afridi bounced Brook but was forearm smashed for two straight fours. A switch of bails Stuart Broad-style brought an lbw shout against Root on 168 given not out and upheld on review.

Crawley played sumptuously for his 78 but for the sixth time since his Ashes hundred at Old Trafford he fell in the 70s. Duckett shrugged off a dislocated left thumb to cream 84 off 74 balls before getting out with a hundred beckoning.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you like making hundreds?” Boycott’s reaction to giving away centuries must have been ringing in the ears of the two Yorkshiremen. Root and Brook did not make the same mistakes. It is what sets apart the best from the rest.

Root: ‘Many more runs to get’

Joe Root said he has “plenty more runs” left in him after becoming England’s highest Test run scorer with a brilliant century in Multan while the man he overtook, Sir Alastair Cook, tipped him to go on and set a new world record for Test runs.

Root passed Cook as England’s highest Test runs scorer when he reached 71 not out in Multan to bring up his 12,473rd career run.

“I’m obviously proud but it still feel there is plenty more left to do and many more runs to get,” Root said.

Root has batted for more than eight hours in 30C plus temperatures, battling cramp and exhaustion while facing 277 balls in his 35th Test hundred.

Afterwards he said: “I feel tired more than anything. It’s been a long day. Obviously proud, but still feel there’s plenty more left to do. I’m sure I’ll look back at it at some point and be very proud of it. I think more than anything, just the way we played today as a team is what stands out.

“Your best innings is already your next one. You’ve just got to find a way to keep contributing. For them to get 550 and us to be able to respond like that shows a lot. We’ve still got an opportunity to win the game, which is really exciting.”

Cook: He’ll overtake Tendulkar

Cook paid tribute to Root and backed him to go past Sachin Tendulkar’s all time record Test runs tally of 15,921. Root is currently fifth on the list.

“I can see him overhauling Sachin Tendulkar’s record,” Cook told the BBC. “When I retired, I thought there was every chance that my record would be broken. I thought only the effects of captaincy and the hunger that takes out of you would stop him. I think the fact that Ben Stokes has taken over the captaincy has helped Root.”

Ben Stokes also tipped Root to go on and make Test history. “Look, he is 33. He has played some 100 games in a row. I don’t know. He can easily go until he is 37, 38 or even 39. He plays all the Test matches from now until then, I don’t see why not. He is too good a player not to at least get close. I personally will be backing him to go past it,” he said.

“To score that many runs, you have to think that there has to be a bit of selfishness about the player. But everything that he has done with the bat in his hand, has always been about the team. I remember a couple of years ago, he was getting stick for converting his fifties into hundreds. I just couldn’t get my head around it. From my point of view, when I looked at how many hundreds Joe scored and how many games we have won, that’s what I look at.

“The selflessness he has is an incredible attribute for him. He always puts the team first. It’s going to take a long, long time for someone to come in and break that record.”

Boycott: He’s a nice lad and a fine batsman

“He’s a once in a generation player, Joe,” Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Telegraph columnist and former England record holder, said. “He has broken the England record and will go on to break the world Test record. He’s good enough to do that and should play enough matches to do it, too.

“He’s been with Yorkshire since he was a kid and everyone who saw him has been saying from about the age of 15 that he was capable of doing great things for England. We knew he had what it took, that he was special. He’s a nice lad, and a fine batsman, from the very top class.

“Every generation throws up someone who is the great player. Way back there was WG Grace, Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton. I had my time, Alastair Cook had his and hopefully there’s someone very special after Joe, a young kid somewhere and I especially hope that they’re from Yorkshire!”

02:19 PM BST

‘Opener’ Duckett speaks

He scored 84, although batting at four instead of opening after taking a blow on the thumb in the field yesterday. He could not go on to make a fourth Test hundred, but did make a quickfire 50.

01:55 PM BST

Is Root England’s greatest?

Scyld Berry has ranked the top 10 English batsmen of all time. Root is in there, obviously, but is he at the top? Click to read his thoughts.

01:47 PM BST

The all-time record for Root?

Root trails all-time Test run-scorer Sachin Tendulkar by more than 3,000 runs. But that is not an unfeasible target for the England batsman. Telegraph Sport has worked out how – providing he remains fit – Root might mount his assault on Tendulkar’s record and when top spot could be his.

Read: Predicted – When Joe Root will overtake Sachin Tendulkar as top run-scorer in Test history

01:37 PM BST

‘Incredible Root’

England batting coach Marcus Trescothick is speaking to Sky Sports about Joe Root:

01:32 PM BST

STUMPS, DAY THREE: ENG 491/3 trail PAK (556) by 64 runs

A well-earned rest for Joe Root and Harry Brook. Particularly Root, who was out there for 277 balls for his unbeaten 176. What chance another 200 for England’s leading Test run scorer?

01:30 PM BST

OVER 101: ENG 491/3 (Root 176 Brook 141)

This will likely be the last over of the day, bowled by Aamer. 1-77 for him so far today at 4.71 which isn’t too bad, really, all things considered. Brook and Root still timing the ball well but finding the fielders and not the boundary rope in this over. There cannot be more than 300 people in the stadium at this point. Brook pulls a single down to cap an excellent day for England.

01:27 PM BST

OVER 100: ENG 490/3 (Root 175 Brook 140)

Root gets on top of a short ball and pulls for a single to keep the strike. A general air of “let’s just get through to the end of the day” now. England putting themselves in a good position but will want to build as big a lead as possible tomorrow.

01:24 PM BST

OVER 99: ENG 486/3 (Root 173 Brook 138)

Root plays a wonderful straight drive, but right into the feet of Aamer. He may have just stuck the boot out to stop it but does not look in too much pain. The gloom moves in with the floodlights fully on. A few overs left in the day. Enough time for Harry Brook to reach 150? Probably not.

01:18 PM BST

OVER 98: ENG 483/3 (Root 173 Brook 135)

As is often the case in the situations where the batting team are finding it easy and the bowling side are at the very end of a long day, the pace of proceedings is slow. Brook drops and runs for a quick single and that brings up the highest fourth-wicket partnership for England against Pakistan.

01:10 PM BST

OVER 97: ENG 481/3 (Root 172 Brook 134)

Well, CricViz have England’s chances of winning right now at 51 per cent with the draw at 44 per cent. The Pakistan win looks unlikely now at five per cent. Nassem bowls a no-ball first up. Root ducks under a bouncer. Given the state of his body I think any sharp movement will not help his cause.

01:04 PM BST

OVER 96: ENG 478/3 (Root 171 Brook 134)

Thanks Rob. This partnership is a hefty one, going along at around five runs an over for 46 overs. A lot of the hard work has been done but some still to do, namely not getting out and building a lead. I think Both Root and Brook will be happy to reach the close of play, which should be in about 25 minutes. Just two singles off Abrar’s latest.

01:02 PM BST

OVER 95: ENG 476/3 (Root 170 Brook 133)

Naseem Shah puts his hand up for a fifth over in succession. Root drives the first ball into the non-striker’s stumps but Naseem had not managed to scrape a boot on it and Brook survives. Root fiddles a single off his pads fine.

Brook defends a couple, the second one quite ostentatiously, Steve Smith style, but then charges the right-arm quick while also giving himself room to leg and lamps him through cover for four!

Luke Slater will take you through to close of play.

12:57 PM BST

OVER 94: ENG 471/3 (Root 169 Brook 129)

Better from Abrar Ahmed until the ball slips out after four dots and Brook slaps the full toss down to extra cover for a single. Root burgles the strike with a legside flick behind square.

12:55 PM BST

OVER 93: ENG 469/3 (Root 168 Brook 128)

Ramiz Raja is catastrophising now and suggests England will get a lead of 200 by tea tomorrow, declare and feast on Pakistan’s despondency to win the match. “Pakistan would love a draw at this stage.”

Naseem is tucked by Brook for a single off his hip.

Kumar Dharmasena gives Root the benefit of the doubt when he is pinned. As an old bowler himself, and a World Cup-winning one, you’d think he would try to reward Naseem’s skill in finally getting one to nip back in. And reward his heart, too. Batsman’s game.

The next ball also hits Root on the knee roll, but this one via an inside edge.

12:52 PM BST

NOT OUT

Umpire’s call on height. That’s a gut punch for Pakistan and Naseem.

12:51 PM BST

PAK review

Root lbw b Root  Pinned by a nip-backer. Going down?

12:49 PM BST

OVER 92: ENG 468/3 (Root 168 Brook 127)

Abrar returns and Root and Brook go after him with sadistic relish, Root slapping the low full toss through midwicket for four, Brook crunching a drive through cover for another as well as milking four singles to give the poor lad no respite at all.

12:47 PM BST

OVER 91: ENG 456/3 (Root 162 Brook 121)

Root gorges on Naseem’s bouncer and pulls it with murderous power for four in front of square. That’s the 200 partnership. Root has put on 109 with Crawley, 136 with Duckett and 207* with Brook.

The next ball is shorter and climbs a wee bit higher and Root pulls again but cannot free his arms so much and cuffs it for only a single. England are exactly a hundred behind with seven wickets in hand.

12:42 PM BST

OVER 90: ENG 450/3 (Root 157 Brook 120)

Glorious stroke form Brook, lamping a punch drive on the up through cover for four, impeccably timed and with an eagle’s eye.

They’re back up to five an over.

12:38 PM BST

OVER 89: ENG 443/3 (Root 157 Brook 113)

Gentle swing from Naseem, early swing, from the hand. Brook uses the shape to drive two to the point boundary rider then Harrow drives off a thick inside edge for a single. Naseem tries the inswinging yorker – he has got a beautiful action but these pitches are a disgrace for Pakistan’s fast bowlers who are so talented but totally unsupported by the PCB and the groundstaff – and Root chips it off his toes for two.

12:33 PM BST

OVER 88: ENG 438/3 (Root 155 Brook 110)

Root drives Shaheen through extar cover for three and wearily comes back for three. Brook uses the angle across him from left-arm over to push a single behind point and Root cramps up again when hit on the knee outside leg-stump. He is hopping about and smiling though wincing. The partnership is 189, beating the previous best for England for the fourth wicket in Pakistan between Peter Parfitt and Ted Dexter back in 1962 at Karachi.

12:21 PM BST

OVER 87: ENG 434/3 (Root 152 Brook 109)

Root is batting like a God and creams a cover drive off Naseem for four to bring up his 150 and move into ‘daddy’ territory. The next ball shapes away gently and Root pokes at it, the ball flying off the edge over gully for a single.

Some incentive for Shah though when bowling to Brook. Somehow he manages to get the ball to nibble off this road and zip back to gate Brook but the ball whistles over the off bail. Time for drinks.

12:16 PM BST

OVER 86: ENG 429/3 (Root 147 Brook 109)

He has the new ball but Shaheen looks cooked and Brook whisks a single off his pads having left two which hooped down the legside alone. Root deflects a single with an open face down to third man and Brook chisels out the yorker, the one good ball of a loosener of an over.

12:11 PM BST

OVER 85: ENG 427/3 (Root 146 Brook 108)

Brook drives for a single and Root’s cramp pain returns and he squeals as he gets up from a sweep but still manages to get back for two. That’s the only return from Abrar’s 32nd over and he now has the dispiriting figures of 32-0-158-0.

Time for the new ball, thank goodness.

12:09 PM BST

OVER 84: ENG 424/3 (Root 144 Brook 107)

More left-arm spin from Shakeel and Brook tucks in to the drag down, cutting it hard for two to bring up his fourth Test century in four Tests in Pakistan. The pitches suit him to a T and while he hasn’t been tested with the ball around his armpit, he has weathered the frustration of negative tactics to keep scoring.

Brook chops another cut for a single then caresses a drive through cover for four. Brook now has more hundreds in Pakistan than Masood, Rizwan, Majid Khan, Imran Khan, Haroon Rashid, Mohsin Khan and Asif Iqbal.

12:03 PM BST

OVER 83: ENG 414/3 (Root 142 Brook 99)

Abrar comes over the wicket and serves up a leg-stump tempter, full of flight. Brook RSVPs and butchesr it over long-on for six. Abrar responds with a dart and Brook squeezes it through point for a single to move to 99.

12:00 PM BST

OVER 82: ENG 406/3 (Root 141 Brook 92)

An over for Saud Shakeel and England milk him for four singles. Pakistan are letting this match drift. They may not have any better options but there must be a better strategy than letting England go at four an over without having to run hard.

11:55 AM BST

OVER 81: ENG 402/3 (Root 139 Brook 90)

Brook nails a sweep off Abrar for four and another, not so nailed, for two finer. Brook takes a step to leg and drives two through cover to bring up their 150 partnership and England’s 400. Brook ends the over gloving a sweep between the keeper’s legs for two more. David Sheppard to Fred Trueman: ‘I should have closed my legs.’ Fred Trueman to the future Bishop of Liverpool ... well, if you know, you know. This is probably not the place.

11:51 AM BST

OVER 80: ENG 392/3 (Root 139 Brook 80)

Salman returns for the first time in this session. Right-arm offspin, also from round the wicket and pitching it outside leg with a ring of fielders in the onside. Root steps out to leg to drive two through cover and then reverse sweeps for two more. After beating midwicket with a flick for a single, Root is denied the strike by Brook’s clip through square leg.

No new ball yet. Or bowling at the stumps. Or for lbws.

11:46 AM BST

OVER 79: ENG 386/3 (Root 134 Brook 79)

Abrar keeps plugging away 3ft outside leg stump like Ashley Giles in India in 2002. Both cuff singles to fine leg and sprint a leg bye and then Root pushes a single to long on. Seems like Pakistan are in holding mode. Too tired to attack on this morale-sapping pitch. Brook was bored out by Sri Lanka and Pakistan are hoping his impetuousness strikes again.

11:42 AM BST

OVER 78: ENG 382/3 (Root 132 Brook 78)

Root breaks the shackles a bit with a pull off Jamal’s flaccid bouncer for four. Two more overs before the new ball becomes available and hopefully more bounce if Pakistan can find the energy this late in the day. Root plays tip and run to cover and Brook carves another short one down to point to move to 78.

11:37 AM BST

OVER 77: ENG 376/3 (Root 127 Brook 77)

Nasser rightly diagnoses Brook as suffering from a dose of ants in the pants. It’s a dangerous spell for him as he is exasperated by Abrar’s line outside leg-stump and he keeps swinging and failing to connect whether holding the bat left-handed or right-handed. Two singles off the over but Root needs to preach patience to his partner.

11:33 AM BST

OVER 76: ENG 374/3 (Root 126 Brook 76)

Root flaps at a Jamal bouncer and cloths it high but bisecting the scrambling fielders. They run a single and then give Pakistan more thwarted hope in the over when Brook plays down the wrong line marginally, the ball flies up and hits him in the face and the ball carroms back on to the stumps. Brook tried to move quickly to toe it away but hesitated for fear of making it worse and the ball fails to dislodge the stumps.

11:30 AM BST

OVER 75: ENG 370/3 (Root 125 Brook 74)

Brook sweeps uppishly and Rizwan, who punctures each over with engaging commentary without using words of the “ooh, ya ya!” kind, suddenly yells ‘Catch it!’ but the ball flies beyond the reach of square leg and they run a single.

11:25 AM BST

OVER 74: ENG 369/3 (Root 125 Brook 73)

Brook, like Root, is going to grin and bear it. Michael Atherton ponders whether it would be in theirs and England’s best interests to retire hurt. Lancashire, see.

Still some movement for Jamal and Brook uses it to run two off the face when it nips back down to third man for two. The next ball moves later and almost squares Brook up in hurried defence but he gets his bat down in time and ends the over swinging his legs from the hips, knees straight. Nureyev he ain’t.

11:17 AM BST

OVER 73: ENG 366/3 (Root 125 Brook 70)

Now Brook starts to suffer from cramp and hops about as if walking in stilts after his right quad seems to tighten amidst some elite milking of the leg-spinner. They take him for four singles and a two. Absolutely naff all in the pitch for Abrar. There are visible cracks but no usable edges to them on this resin-hard surface.

On comes the physio with some pills and a drink for Brook. He also performs toe-turning duties in an attempt to relieve the screaming hamstring.

11:13 AM BST

Telegraph readers on JE Root

11:12 AM BST

OVER 72: ENG 360/3 (Root 121 Brook 68)

Aamer Jamal who winkled Duckett out and caught Pope and Crawley comes on after tea and Brook drills two straight down the ground and takes England past the follow-on. The right-hander works a single off his pads and Root defends with a straight bat before opening the face to steer a single to point. He looks far less stiff than he did half an hour ago.

11:07 AM BST

OVER 71: ENG 356/3 (Root 120 Brook 65)

Bagchi resumes as does Abrar who fires one down the legside. Brook shapes to sweep, misses and hares three byes instead. Root squeezes an open-face drive for a single and Brook connects with a sweep for another.

10:59 AM BST

Tea verdict

10:42 AM BST

OVER 70: ENG 351/3 (Root 119 Brook 64)

A change of bowling with opening batsman Saim Ayub on with his right arm off-breaks. He has one wicket from four matches so far. Just one other first-class wicket for him, though 15 List A and 13 T20s. It’s a pretty tidy start from him, a couple of singles before a two from Root brings up the 350 for his team and the hundred partnership for the pair off 121 balls, Brook with 63 of those.

And that will be tea... a good session for England. 

10:38 AM BST

OVER 69: ENG 345/3 (Root 118 Brook 59)

England sprint a quick single and Root is feeling that. He is cramping up at the moment and that will not have helped. It was his shot and his call, so perhaps a little surprising that he took it. In any case he makes it home. One keeps low from Abrar but Brook jams his bat down and keeps it out. Not terribly low but low enough as England continue to milk the spinners.

10:35 AM BST

OVER 68: ENG 341/3 (Root 115 Brook 58)

Root pulls for four but it is in the air for a little while with big shouts of catch. I don’t think anyone was close enough. Naseem Shah wanted the fielder behind square, apparently. It was a top edge but moves Root to 115.

This partnership going well. 92 runs at five runs an over in the 18.2 overs they have been together at the crease.

10:31 AM BST

OVER 67: ENG 335/3 (Root 110 Brook 57)

Spare a thought for Ollie Pope. A second ball duck when the lowest score of anyone else to bat in this England innings is 78...

For those interested, England (39 per cent chance of victory) have just nipped ahead of Pakistan via CricViz’s win predictor, with Pakistan on 35 per cent. The draw is on 25 per cent.

10:28 AM BST

England ending day three with a lead?

10:27 AM BST

OVER 66: ENG 332/3 (Root 108 Brook 56)

Five runs off Nassem Shah’s latest as England accumulate but do not yet accelerate.

10:26 AM BST

Root scoring runs at three...

10:22 AM BST

OVER 65: ENG 326/3 (Root 104 Brook 55)

Four runs and a lot of sweeps from Abrar’s latest over. Wicketless after 22 overs and at a 5.22 runs an over from the spinner.

10:21 AM BST

Root racks up the tons

10:20 AM BST

A special day in the Root family indeed

10:17 AM BST

OVER 64: ENG 323/3 (Root 102 Brook 53)

A wonderful delivery from Naseem as he gets something off the pitch on a good length and line and Root prods forward at. It just misses his outside edge but on this pitch he probably deserved more.

10:12 AM BST

OVER 63: ENG 321/3 (Root 100 Brook 50)

A hard-swept single brings Root onto strike on 99... and Root then reverse sweeps for a single to bring up his hundred! A first in Pakistan and his 35th in total. That is the 99th time he has passed 50 in Test cricket. He did it off 167 balls.

A typical Root innings, in many ways. He and England will want him to go on for at least 100 more and if he does you’d say England will be pretty close to Pakistan’s first-innings total. He takes a left-handed grip and stance to sweep Abrar but misses and is hit on the pad. Well outside the line, mind you.

10:08 AM BST

OVER 62: ENG 317/3 (Root 99 Brook 50)

Brook nudges two off his pads to keep Root off strike. He then does the same with an off-drive which brings him to 49. He reaches his 50 with another nudge off his pads. 50, his 10th in Tests, at just slightly better than a run a ball with seven fours. The 15th time in total that he has passed 50 in just 19 Tests at an average of more than 55. A handsome start to what could well be a fantastic career in both white and red-ball cricket. That single means Root remains at the non-striker’s end...

10:03 AM BST

OVER 61: ENG 312/3 (Root 99 Brook 45)

Brook works Abrar off the back foot past the square leg umpire for a single and Root moves to 98 with a cover drive for two off the leg-spinner and then takes a single into the legside, using the angle from round the wicket.

Time to tag in Luke Slater for a spell.

10:00 AM BST

OVER 60: ENG 307/3 (Root 96 Brook 43)

Root is clinging on while waiting for the Crampex or equivalent to, ahem, take root. Shaheen has given up on the bouncer strategy and goes back to searching for reverse. Root cover drives for two, his timing, for once, off but then connects elegantly with the next effort, thumping it past the fielder for four.

09:57 AM BST

OVER 59: ENG 301/3 (Root 90 Brook 43)

Abrar has adopted a very negative line from round the wicket, taking leg-before out of the equation unless he lands a full, turning googly. Root flicks a single off his toes, drops to one knee to drive another and Brook hops back to work another off his pads which brings up England’s 300.

09:51 AM BST

OVER 58: ENG 298/3 (Root 88 Brook 42)

Shaheen sets a field for a barrage but neither he nor the pitch is quick enough and Brook hops back to swat four in front of cover with a horizontal bat and follows that next ball by backing away and slashing the ball over point for another.

The next short ball is more into the body and Brook rides the bounce to collar a single to the square leg sweeper. Root also pulls and finds the same fellow in the deep to the tune of another single.

09:40 AM BST

OVER 57: ENG 288/3 (Root 87 Brook 33)

On come the drinks after only one ball as Root is stricken with cramp and starts walking like the Tin Man after getting up on his toes to try to whip Abrar off his pads. Rizwan, seeing his plight, jokily throws down the stumps then smiles broadly and pats Root on the back.

After a calf massage and a pastel-coloured drink, Root continues and pushes a single into the covers. Brook opens the stance as Abrar comes round the wicket to the right-hander and he pivots to work a single into the onside. Two attempts from Root to reverse sweep come to naught bar an optimistic appeal for leg-before when the ball hit him on the gloves.

09:39 AM BST

OVER 56: ENG 286/3 (Root 86 Brook 32)

It’s noticeable that Messrs Ward, Hussain, Gower and Atherton are far more sympathetic with the Pakistan quicks than the home commentators who are damning of their fitness and stamina. Hussain makes the point that this pitch is extinct, it has ceased to be, while the hosts point out that in their day West Indies and Pakistan used to bowl each other out on such pitches. David Gower says that an attack of Wasi,m Waqar, Imran, Mushtaq Ahmed and Qadir would struggle on this dud.

Brook again slackens his bottom wrist to work two down to third man and then hammers a half-volley from Afridi through cover for four.

09:33 AM BST

OVER 55: ENG 280/3 (Root 86 Brook 26)

Brook prowls like a caged lion for a couple of deliveries, checking his instinct to whack Abrar over the top and is further frustrated by sharp fielding at midwicket. But he ruins Abrar’s chance of a rare maiden by driving the last ball for a single through cover.

09:30 AM BST

OVER 54: ENG 279/3 (Root 86 Brook 25)

This should be interesting – with the ball reversing, Masood brings back Afridi after a lengthy three-hour rest. He starts by pinning Brook with the inswinger, a ball angling down, then makes him defend another inducker tentatively. But then he pushes his luck, starting the inswinger on middle and giving Brook the chance tow hip it off his toes through midwicket for three.

Root climbs into a pull and smacks it hard but square leg is well-positioned and stops the run.

09:25 AM BST

OVER 53: ENG 276/3 (Root 86 Brook 22)

Root rocks back to slap a single through cover and Brook then tucks into the beleaguered leg-spinner. Four eyes or two eyes, it makes no difference as he serves up another pie on Brook’s leg-stump and the Burley biffer sweeps him hard for four, then clips a single off the back foot. Root climbs into the drag down and flick it off his thighpad for two. I feel sorry for Shan Masood. His spinners have given him no control at all and now he’s got his two Yorkshire team-mates on song and coming at them.

09:20 AM BST

OVER 52: ENG 268/3 (Root 83 Brook 17)

There is late reverse swing for Jamal but he has to get his line right and when he bends one on to middle, Brook whips it all along the grass through midwicket for four. Brook opens the face to smear two off a no-ball, Jamal’s third, to third man and ends the over with the perfect, effortless cover drive, harpooning four between two statuesque fielders.

09:14 AM BST

OVER 51: ENG 257/3 (Root 83 Brook 7)

Abrar has put his contacts in after lunch. He is bowling better now but the intrepid Tykes bookend the over with a single each, Root’s through midwicket, Brook’s to cover.

09:11 AM BST

OVER 50: ENG 255/3 (Root 82 Brook 6)

Enter Harry Brook, who averages 93.60 in Pakistan with three centuries in three Tests after Duckett’s departure. Fine innings by Duckett but, like his opening partner Zak Crawley, they keep leaving runs out there because of shoddy conversion rates. It’s the ninth time he has scored between 71 and 98 in Tests.

Brook gets off the mark with a two flicked through midwicket and follows that by opening the face and steeringa  drive behind square for four.

09:06 AM BST

Wicket!

Duckett lbw b Jamal 84  Hitting the top of leg on the angle from round the wicket. Struck him on the top flap of his back leg but he is, in the words of Bobby ball, ‘only a little lad’. FOW 249/3 

09:04 AM BST

ENG review

Duckett lbw b Jamal  Root immediately told him to review. No bat but seemed to be spearing on or wide of leg stump.

09:00 AM BST

OVER 49: ENG 247/2 (Root 81 Duckett 84)

Better from Abrar who extracts a bit more bounce from over the wicket and twice surprises Root with ones that spit up. He plays them well, though, with soft hands and then hunkers in his crease to squeeze a skiddy one through point for a single. Duckett reverse sweeps the leggie, back round the wicket, for two.

08:57 AM BST

OVER 48: ENG 244/2 (Root 80 Duckett 82)

Aamer Jamal is given a funky field to Root with a short mid-on, parallel with the popping crease, and catching midwicket. Root defends and tests the infield, ducks the bouncer and gleans only a single (as well as an extra for a no-ball) by opening the face and gliding the ball square.

Where’s Roy Castle and his trumpet?

08:52 AM BST

OVER 47: ENG 242/2 (Root 79 Duckett 82)

Abrar keeps coming round the wicket to Duckett and pitching it on middle and leg. The left-hander flicks him away with ease for a pair of singles. Aamer Sohail can’t believe this line of attack and urges him to come over the wicket and bowl googlies to the left-hander. He’s sticking to Plan A for now, even though it makes him easy pickings.

08:48 AM BST

OVER 46: ENG 238/2 (Root 77 Duckett 80)

Aamer Jamal continues, wicket to wicket, about 78mph. Root taps a single off his pads and when the bowler strays on to leg stump again, Duckett runs a leg-bye off a ball that nicks the top flap. Still straining for that swing he managed to impart pre-lunch if haphazardly, Jamal goes full on a fifth-stump line and it stays true so Root smears him through extra-cover for four.

08:40 AM BST

Ladies and gentlemen, England’s leading Test runscorer

08:28 AM BST

Stokes on Root

08:11 AM BST

History man

From baby with a bat to England’s greatest: The making of Joe Root

Nestled in his crib, a baby Joe Root holds a small cricket bat. Now, 33 years later, that same baby is England’s highest-ever Test run scorer.

You could say he was born to the role. “We’ve got a picture of him a couple of days old, holding his cardboard bat in his little crib,” says his mum Helen. “Before he could even walk he had a bat in his hand, and he’d just whack things.”

Helen had two cricket-mad boys at home – Joe’s brother Billy plays for Glamorgan – and husband Matt, who played for Sheffield Collegiate alongside Michael Vaughan. “I spent a lot of time listening to bats being knocked in,” she says.

Read on here...

08:07 AM BST

Lunch verdict

08:06 AM BST

OVER 45: ENG 232/2 (Root 72 Duckett 80)

Root will rightly hog the headlines today and tomorrow but Duckett has been even better in this innings, sweeping Abrar hard for four and then patting a single through square leg. He has 80 off 67 balls at lunch. As Tim Wigmore points out: Gilbert Jessop’s record for fastest ever England Test century stands at 76 balls.

08:02 AM BST

OVER 44: ENG 226/2 (Root 71 Duckett 75)

Still reversing for Jamal in the penultimate over before lunch and, after Duckett whisks three through midwicket, he pins Root with another inswinger. They ponder a review but given they have only one left wisely keep their powder dry as, again, it was vaulting the leg bail. The right-arm trundler is extracting far more bunce than the quicker Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

07:57 AM BST

Root’s achievement

And a World Cup-winner to boot!

07:55 AM BST

OVER 43: ENG 223/2 (Root 71 Duckett 72)

Duckett sweeps Abrar for a single and the struggling leg-spinner also makes a gift of a no-ball when his back foot strays out of the crease.

07:54 AM BST

Roooooooooooooooooooooooooot!

07:53 AM BST

Here’s Michael Vaughan on Joe Root’s achievement

Joe Root is the batsman I would watch over anyone else

07:51 AM BST

OVER 42: ENG 221/2 (Root 71 Duckett 71)

Pakistan lose their second review. The bounce projected by ball-tracking looked implausible given everything we’ve seen this morning.

No doubt, though, that Jamal has been by far the trickiest bowler so far. Root drives a full one for two and then wears one on the glove when trying to dab. Perhaps the bounce was not that implausible after all. Is there life in the pitch after the roller?

And that’s it. Root becomes England’s record run-scorer off the final ball by creaming an on-drive for four. Alastair Cook, Graham Gooch, Alec Stewart, David Gower, KP and Geoffrey Boycott, all surpassed. 12,473 runs in 12 years.

07:46 AM BST

NOT OUT

Missing leg and too high, too. Looked closer than that.

07:45 AM BST

PAK review

Root lbw b Jamal  Pinned by an inswinger. Sliding down? Umpire’s call?

07:42 AM BST

OVER 41: ENG 214/2 (Root 65 Duckett 70)

Masood turns back to his No1 spinner Abrar. Duckett works a single off his toes and Root scrambles a single to midwicket with another flick to bring up the century partnership. Pakistan cannot stop the tide.

07:40 AM BST

OVER 40: ENG 211/2 (Root 64 Duckett 68)

Root misjudges a reverse sweep and is hit on the toe via a bottom edge and follows that with a hop back in the crease to drive through cover for two to bring up England’s 200. A legside flick earns him a single off Salman and Duckett cashes in with a pair of fours to overtake Root, the first a cross-bat cut/drive through cover for four followed by a wild flash over the slips. Saud Shakeel gives chase and foolishly dives knee first into the outfield to try to stop it in vain. That could have mashed his ligaments and kneecap as it stuck in the sandy fringe but mercifully he’s OK.

07:33 AM BST

OVER 39: ENG 199/2 (Root 61 Duckett 59)

Rizwan said straightaway that Duckett hadn’t hit it but no doubt Jamal’s movement has given Pakistan some hope. After burning that review, Jamal drops short and Duckett thrashes it through cover point for four, bat halfway between the vertical and horizontal.

Jamal strays on to Duckett’s middle stump and the left-hander clips a single through midwicket. Root waits for the late inswing and opens the face to glide a single behind point.

07:27 AM BST

PAK review

Duckett c Rizwan b Jamal  Positively Pope-like review, utter garbage. Big gap between bat and ball.

07:26 AM BST

OVER 38: ENG 193/2 (Root 60 Duckett 54)

Duckett raises his 50 off his 45th delivery with a drive down to long off for a single. Root uses the angle when Salman stays round the wicket to the right-hander and squeezes a drive through point for a single. Duckett plays tip and run to a dwadling long leg for a single, Root drives for another and Duckett collars three off a drag down with a cramped pull. Duckett rivals Benny Hill as the fastest milkman in the west.

07:22 AM BST

OVER 37: ENG 186/2 (Root 58 Duckett 49)

Jamal is very tight to the stumps and is wobbling the ball in to Root who defends until he is given one that moves even more sharply in and whisks that through midwicket for two.

07:19 AM BST

OVER 36: ENG 184/2 (Root 56 Duckett 49)

England continue to milk Salman to the tune of three singles and a three, the latter to Root off the last ball, stroking a drive through cover and running back with a spaniel’s eagerness despite the punishing heat.

Aamer Sohail has his wish granted as Masood turns to Aamer Jamal.

07:15 AM BST

OVER 35: ENG 178/2 (Root 52 Duckett 47)

A close shave for Root who plays for reverse swing, thinking it was going to tail in but Naseem’s full delivery held its line and whistled past the edge. That, Crawley’s wicket and Duckett’s edge through vacant first slip apart, is as close as they’ve come all morning.

07:11 AM BST

OVER 34: ENG 176/2 (Root 51 Duckett 46)

Nick’s point, below, is valid as ever. What I can report is that the Paksitani commentators on the global feed, Waqar, Ramiz and Aamer Sohail, are spooked by England’s run-rate and giving Masood pelters. Giving Jamal the ball is their solution.

Root punches a single off Salman for a single and Duckett probes the onside infield to no effect but then cashes in when the offspinner drops short and he fillets a cut for four.

07:06 AM BST

First hour verdict

07:02 AM BST

OVER 33: ENG 171/2 (Root 50 Duckett 42)

Oh dear x 2. First Saud Shakeel makes a hash of a diving stop at square leg and makes a gift of two to Duckett then Masood’s attempt to cover two positions with one man, positioning his slip at 1½ rather than posting first and second bites Pakistan on the tuchas as Duckett edges at catchable height through first for four. Duckett pokes a drive for a single through cover and Root brings up his fifty off a thick inside edge that squirts past leg stump.

On come the drinks.

06:58 AM BST

OVER 32: ENG 163/2 (Root 49 Duckett 35)

Shan Masood hooks his main spinner, Abrara, and turns to the off-spinning allrounder Salman Agha. Root starts with a discombobulating reverse-sweep, cuffing the off-break for three. Duckett, unlike Root, has a sighter, blocking a couple then cutting straight to the fielder before nicking the strike with a single to raise the fifty partnership off 45 balls.

06:55 AM BST

OVER 31: ENG 159/2 (Root 46 Duckett 34)

That’s a gorgeous shot from Joe Root. For some connoisseurs nothing beats the cover drive but I think the off-drive is the harder stroke to make look effortless and Root plays it with panache. Lots of talk about Sachin because of the milestones ahead of Root, but Root nailed that one with Sachin-esque sweetness off Naseem.

06:53 AM BST

Those Wilf Lunn sightscreen contraptions

06:50 AM BST

OVER 30: ENG 154/2 (Root 41 Duckett 34)

No doubt to these eyes that Abrar’s action has changed since that wonderful debut two years ago and he seems to have lost his control of length. Duckett launches a blistering assault, slamming his drop down through point for four then thrashing him flat and hard over a leaping mid-on for four more with a slog sweep. Abrar holds his nerve but so does Duckett and flogs the next ball back over the bowler’s head for a third boundary off the over. I would say his elevation to the ODI side has made him even more jauntily pugnacious, were that possible.

06:45 AM BST

OVER 29: ENG 142/2 (Root 41 Duckett 22)

Ramiz Raja suggests that Pakistan need to string together a few dot balls to stop Duckett’s momentum and Naseem starts with four but the left-hander played at all of them, deftly probing the infield rather than defending them. He finally gets away from the right-arm quick with a cut down to the point sweeper for a single.

06:41 AM BST

Summit fever

06:40 AM BST

OVER 28: ENG 141/2 (Root 41 Duckett 21)

Duckett, the reigning king of sweeps, gets the broom out to brush Abrar for a single and, when Root gives him the strike back after darting back on his crease to flick one off leg and middle, Duckett levers a drive over cover for two and then sweeps for one.

First change: Naseem Shah will replace SSA.

06:36 AM BST

OVER 27: ENG 136/2 (Root 40 Duckett 17)

Shaheen unwisely tests Root on the bouncer and he climbs into the half-tracker that gets up no higher than his waistband and hammers a pull for four. At the end of the over David, Lord Gower turns Ed Sullivan and starts hawking washing powder for the domestic market. There’s a hint of bemusement in his voice. A gig’s a gig in this crowded market. Root opens the face to run a dingle down to point, Duckett does the same for double the return then chops a single finer through gully.

06:32 AM BST

OVER 26: ENG 126/2 (Root 34 Duckett 13)

If Duckett is in pain, he isn’t showing it against Abrar and gorges on the leg-spinner’s erratic lengths, streakily but busily nurdling two through the slips off an edge before slog-sweeping him for four and then panning a cut in front of square for another.

06:27 AM BST

OVER 25: ENG 114/2 (Root 34 Duckett 1)

One may say that Crawley has thrown it away but that ball was there to be hit. It seemed that he was early on it and hence he hit it straight to the fielder who grabbed it by his ankles, ending a partnership of 109.

Here comes Ben Duckett and Shaheen comes back over the wicket to the left-hander who takes his bottom hand and sore thumb off the bat as he plays a defensive but looks on more solid ground when he gets off the mark by dabbing a single through point.

06:21 AM BST

Wicket!

Crawley c Jamal b Afridi 78  A bolt from the blue. Crawley whisks an inducker off his toes to midwicket where Jamal hangs on at the second attempt, the ball squirting out of his grasp initially like a bar of Imperial Leather. Languid stroke.  FOW 113/2

06:19 AM BST

OVER 24: ENG 113/1 (Crawley 77 Root 34)

Better from Abrar, surprising Crawley with rapid dip but he still managed to get his nostrils over the ball. The right-hander’s big stride gives him the room to free his hands and drill a single through cover and Root plays out the over with a bat angled to kill any skid or turn.

06:16 AM BST

OVER 23: ENG 112/1 (Crawley 77 Root 34)

Shaheen continues round the wicket, fast and full. Again Crawley peppers cover but can’t pierce the ring until the fourth ball when Shaheen goes even fuller and Crawley’s soft grip and watercolourist’s hands to steer it wide of slip for four off a thick edge, but deliberately so.

The OCB is offering free entry to general enclosures tomorrow and on the first day of the second Test at Multan and third at ’Pindi.

06:12 AM BST

OVER 22: ENG 107/1 (Crawley 72 Root 34)

Abrar, who has his glasses on today, shares newish ball duties. Clear, plastic frames like a noughties architect. The kind they pair with white Crocs. Root exploits the width to cut for a single and Crawley again uses his reach to ease a drive through cover for a single. He has a slip and leg slip in but oversteps and Root taps a drive through cover to bring up the hundred partnership.

The legspinner errs too straight and Crawley works two off his pads. No turn yet so he has to rely on flight and dip. Crawley is playing him well so far and seemingly picking him.

06:07 AM BST

OVER 21: ENG 100/1 (Crawley 68 Root 32)

Shan Masood began play having a very animated discussion with Kumar Dharmasena before the ball was handed over to Shaheen Shah Afridi. It lasted about 90 seconds and, although the umpire was smiling, Masood was quite close and spoke at rattling pace.

Crawley pulls away before the first ball. There have been incessant problems with movement in front of the sightscreens and at one point yesterday a flickering/strobing advertising screen.

Shaheen starts round the wicket, wide and full. No bounce at all and Crawey watches it scuttle through. Two balls later the opener is treated to a gimme half volley outside off and he creams it through the covers for four, nice high elbow. There’s a sweeper out there but he barely had time to move. The cover ring protects the bowler better when Crawley drives twice more as Shaheen keeps plugging a full length, looking for swing.

05:59 AM BST

Out come the players

Root and Crawley wait on the boundary’s edge for the Paksitan lads to overtake them.

05:56 AM BST

Multan mocktails

05:45 AM BST

Brighter news from Multan

05:22 AM BST

Preview: Root’s 39 steps

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of day three of the first Test from Multan which England begin on 96 for one, trailing Pakistan by 460 runs and with a second-wicket partnership unbroken on 92 and Joe Root on 32, 39 runs from overtaking Alastair Cook’s 12,472 runs that still make him for a wee, wee while longer, England’s leading Test runscorer.

Should he get them in this innings, Root will have done it in 23 fewer than Cook and in 14 fewer Tests, elevating him to fifth on the all time list with Rahul Dravid (13,288), Jacques Kallis (13,289), Ricky Ponting (13,378) and Everest himself, Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), as peaks to conquer should his appetite for batting remain as keen as it has been for the past 12 years.

Day three was traditionally ‘moving day’ in Tests before the frontal assaults of the Bazball era and the great resource mismatches of the past couple of decades made three- and four-day finishes far more commonplace than they were in the last century. On this Multan pitch which looks like straw but plays like sponge cake, day three ought to be pivotal again. Optimists among us, and judging by the tone of the comments I suspect we attract fewer of those than readers who would define themselves as ‘realists’ rather than pessimists, would say that the rate at which England are scoring could set this up for a gripping second half when the odd example of erratic bounce we have already seen ought to become more prevalent.

England’s aim today, therefore, is to bat and bat on this belter, get as many as they can ideally by lunch tomorrow and give Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes as much rest as possible to afford them the chance of exploiting the hosts’ nerves and fear of another backlash after their home defeat by Bangladesh. If Ben Duckett is able to bat – and the pictures on Sky last night suggested that the left thumb was dislocated at the knuckle not the carpometacarpal joint further down which would be a far more significant injury – they have enough firepower in the remaining top six to get close enough.

Whether they would be able to bowl Pakistan out and then manage a chase should the home spinners improve from last night, or Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah find some reverse swing, would be a test of their skill and mettle.

The one thing we do know is that they won’t be daunted by being 460 runs behind. Our old foe S.C. Oreboard-Pressure does not have the power he used to wield to haunt English batsmen’s minds.