Multan (Pakistan): In a fixture where batters scored at an unusually fast rate, England scripted history by scoring a total of more than 700 runs after a long span of 87 years. Joe Root scored a double century while Harry Brook played a marathon inning to score the second-fastest triple ton. Courtesy of the ultra-aggressive approach from the English batters, several records were broken during the fixture. The team scored the fourth-ever highest Test total by declaring the innings at 823/7. Sri Lanka is at the top of the list with a score of 952/6 against India in Colombo in 1997.
The next three scores in the list are from England as the team secured fourth place in the fixture against Pakistan. Also, it was in 1938 when England posted a total of more than 700 runs in Test cricket. The instance came against Australia when they declared the innings at 903/7 at The Oval.
Harry Brook took just 310 balls to complete his triple hundred and clocked the second-fastest triple century in Test cricket. He surpassed Matthew Hayden who completed his 300 within 362 balls in 2003 against Zimbabwe.
Root and Brook formed a partnership of 454 runs registering the fourth-highest partnership in Test cricket. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have the highest Test partnership of 624 to their name.
The first Test between England and Pakistan has been a run-fest so far with the batters from both sides scoring runs at a brisk pace. Batting first, Pakistan posted a total of 556 as the trio of Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood and Agha Salman centuries. England then responded with a massive total of 823/7 and declared the innings with a lead of 267 runs.
Highest 1st innings aggregate in a Test match
1489 - SL vs IND, Colombo, 1997
1409 - PAK vs SL, Karachi, 2009