England’s Harry Brook during the England vs Italy T20 World Cup match in Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on February 16, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

England’s Captain Harry Brook. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

England players acknowledge the crowd after winning the first Test against Pakistan in Multan on October 11, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

England’s bowlers, led by spinner Jack Leach, tore through the Pakistan line-up to secure victory in the first Test in Multan on Friday (October 11, 2024) after a record partnership between Harry Brook and Joe Root turned the match on its head.

England’s attack made short work of the last four Pakistan batters on Day 5, dismissing the hosts for 220 to win by an innings and 47 runs and draw first blood in the three-match series.

The win is England’s fourth consecutive Test triumph on Pakistan soil, after a 3-0 whitewash two years ago. England had only won two away Tests against Pakistan in the previous 61 years.

It was also filled with several new milestones for England.

“This win would be right up there. Definitely top three,” said captain Ollie Pope, standing in for injured skipper Ben Stokes.

Brook smashed 317 and Root a record-setting 262 in England’s mammoth 823-7 declared, giving the visitors a 267-run lead and both players their highest Test scores.

Their 454, England’s highest-ever partnership for any wicket in Test cricket, also delivered an improbable advantage after Pakistan amassed an impressive 556 first-innings total.

Pope was full of praise for Brook and Root’s heroics.

“Credit to them for the skills and determination to put the team in a winning position,” he said.

By close of play on the fourth day on a lifeless pitch, England had posted the fourth-highest Test innings total of 823-7 and taken total control of the match with the hosts teetering at 152-6.

Along the way, Root became the highest run scorer for England in Test history.

England’s bowlers then delivered a dagger blow on a lifeless Multan pitch where the first 17 wickets fell for a mammoth 1,379 runs.

Towards the end of the fourth day, Pakistan were reeling at 82-6 before Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal came together for Pakistan’s only meaningful partnership.

The pair added 109 before Leach, who marshalled the attack with 4-30, provided the first breakthrough on the fifth day when he dislodged Salman for a fighting 63 and opened the floodgates.

Leach then took a smart return catch to get Shaheen Shah Afridi for ten and then had Naseem Shah stumped for six, wrapping up Pakistan’s second innings.

Last man Abrar Ahmed was unable to bat after being taken to hospital with a high fever.

“When you come out to bat again and you’re 260 runs behind and the pitch is three days older, it’s never easy,” said Pope of Pakistan’s second-innings predicament.

Pope also lauded the grit shown by England’s inexperienced attack.

“Our bowlers got the odd ball to reverse and spin,” he said of Gus Atkinson who took 2-46 and debutant Brydon Carse who finished with 2-66.

‘Can’t be more disappointing’

The loss continues a painful stretch for Pakistan and will compound the pressure on captain Shan Masood.

His tenure has begun with six consecutive defeats, including three in Australia and two at home at the hands of Bangladesh — the worst start for any Pakistan captain.

“It can’t be more disappointing than this,” said Masood. “Harsh reality is that England found a way to win after two days under the sun and 556 behind.

“Then they batted big and when they came back with the ball they had a plan and created a window of opportunity in the second innings so the harsh reality in Test cricket is no matter what the pitch quality side finds a way to win.”

The hosts have gone 11 Tests without a win on home grounds, their last win against South Africa came in February 2021.

The second Test starts at the same venue from Tuesday while the third is in Rawalpindi from October 24.

England’s Harry Brook celebrates after reaching his century
| Photo Credit: Reuters

England captain Harry Brook struck his first one-day international century before his team clinched a 46-run win by the DLS method to keep alive the series against Australia on Tuesday.

Chasing 305 to win the third ODI, England was 254-4 — with Brook unbeaten on 110 — when heavy rain arrived in the day-nighter at Chester-le-Street. The teams didn’t get back on the field and England was well ahead of the run-rate.

Australia, which had cruised to dominant wins at Southampton and Leeds in this five-match series, saw its lead trimmed to 2-1 and its 14-match winning run in ODIs come to an end. During that streak, the team won the Cricket World Cup in India last year.

Coming to the crease with England in trouble on 11-2, Brook took on Australia’s seam attack by hitting 13 fours and two sixes in a 94-ball knock to easily surpass his previous ODI-best score of 80.

“I’m relieved, for sure. It’s just nice to see some rewards,” said Brook, who gained his first win as stand-in skipper for the injured Jos Buttler. “I’m just glad I managed to play the way I wanted to. It’s nice to get that first hundred on the board and hopefully there’s plenty more to come.

“I feel like I’ve been a little bit stop-start this summer. I’ve had a lot of starts — 30s and 40s — and then not managed to convert, which is frustrating. To do that today, I feel like I’m back in a good place.”

The series continues on Friday with the fourth ODI at Lord’s.

Playing without explosive opener Travis Head (rested) and star spinner Adam Zampa (ill), Australia was put into bat and needed a strong finish — mainly thanks to Alex Carey’s unbeaten 77 and No. 8 batter Aaron Hardie’s 44 off 26 — to post 304-7 off its 50 overs.

Steve Smith hit a patient 60 off 82 balls, after the tourists’ innings was slowed by losing Cameron Green (42) and Marnus Labuschagne (0) in space of five balls just past the halfway mark.

It looked a tough chase for a youthful England team that had been outclassed so far this series and things started badly when Mitchell Starc dismissed Phil Salt (for an eight-ball duck) and Ben Duckett (8) in the same over — Australia’s third.

Brook embraced the pressure of the occasion and went on the attack pretty much from the start of his innings.

His third-wicket stand of 156 with Will Jacks (84 off 82 balls) swung the momentum England’s way and the team maintained it when the big-hitting Liam Livingstone came in at No. 6 and immediately smashed two sixes.

Brook used the uppercut to great effect to deal with some short-pitched bowling from the Australians and hit a straight drive for four to get to 99. Off the next ball, he opened the face and edged for another four to reach his century, prompting him to remove his helmet and look to the sky.

Brook’s second fifty came off just 33 deliveries.

England’s push for victory was then held up by the rain that arrived in the 38th over. It got heavier and heavier, with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern formula showing that the hosts were well in front of the run-rate.

Brook made some interesting comments after the series opener in Nottingham, reflecting on some loose dismissals by saying: “If you get caught somewhere on the boundary or in the field, then who cares?”

He said his words had been misunderstood.

“I think people took that a little bit the wrong way. You’ve got to go out and play fearlessly and almost have that ‘who cares?’ attitude. But that’s not a ‘who cares if we lose?’ attitude,” Brook said.

“We all want to win, but you don’t want to go out and have that fear of getting out.”

England’s Joe Root (left) and teammate Harry Brook. File
| Photo Credit: Ap

Seven players, including Harry Brook, were among 29 England cricketers who were awarded central contracts by the ECB for the first time, while premier all-rounder and Test captain Ben Stokes was given a one-year contract on Tuesday.

The deal pre-dated from October 1 this year also includes a first-of-its-kind multi-year contracts, which were offered to 18 players including Brook, Joe Root and recuperating pacer Jofra Archer.

Apart from Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue received the contract for the first time.

Pacer Carse on Monday was named as a replacement for injured Reece Topley in England’s squad for the on-going World Cup.

Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Rob Key, said: “We are rewarding those players who we expect to make a significant impact over the coming years playing for England.

They will play a pivotal role in England’s efforts over the next few years.”

England’s new multi-year central contracts:

Three-year contract: Joe Root, Mark Wood, Harry Brook.

Two-year contract: Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jonathan Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Liam Livingstone, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.

One-year contract: Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Ollie Robinson, Reece Topley.

Developmental contract: Matthew Fisher, Saqib Mahmood, John Turner.

England’s Harry Brook batting during the second ODI match between England and New Zealand, at The Ageas Bowl, Southampton, England, on September 10, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

Defending champion England replaced Jason Roy with Harry Brook in its Cricket World Cup squad on Sunday despite having included the opening batter on a 15-man provisional list last month.

Roy played more one-day internationals than any other England player since the 2019 title that he helped to secure with a pick up and throw for a run-out to ensure victory over New Zealand.

However, doubts over Roy’s selection for the physically demanding Oct. 5-Nov. 19 tournament in India were fueled by a back injury which forced him to miss a four-match series this month against the Kiwis.

Brook, a versatile batter who can open or bat lower down, had been a surprise omission from the provisional squad after impressing against Australia in the Ashes test series in the English summer. But he had a poor ODI series against New Zealand, scoring 37 runs from three innings.

“The strength of the group has meant that we have had to make some tough decisions on world-class players,” England selector Luke Wright said.

England will travel to India with eight of the squad who won the title as the home team four years ago.

Squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.