England secured their highest total in 86 years, declaring on a remarkable 823-7, bolstered by Harry Brook's stunning triple century and Joe Root's impressive double ton on the day four in the first Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Thursday.
As the fourth day unfolded in Multan, Pakistan found themselves in dire straits, ending the day on 152-6 in their second innings and trailing by 115 runs. With England's formidable batting display, the tourists are poised for a potential victory, should they maintain their momentum.
"There’s very much a chance of a result in this game," Root stated. "We’ve still got a lot of hard work to do, but off the back of the way we’ve played so far in this Test match, we’ve got a real opportunity tomorrow if we get things right."
At stumps, Pakistan's Salman Agha (40) and Aamer Jamal (27) were at the crease, but the hosts clearly held the upper hand. England, with a lead of 267, made their intentions known early as Chris Woakes struck with his first delivery, dismissing a fatigued Abdullah Shafique, who had endured 150 overs in the field.
Gus Atkinson joined the fray, claiming the wickets of skipper Shan Masood and Babar Azam, whose batting woes continued with a ninth consecutive Test without a half-century. Brydon Carse also made an impact, taking a wicket with his very first ball, dismissing Saim Ayub before cleaning up Mohammad Rizwan, leaving Pakistan reeling at 59-5.
As the final day looms, England is firmly in the driver's seat, eyeing a historic win in what has been an exhilarating Test match.
