Harry Brook spared no praise for Joe Root as the dynamic duo dominated Pakistan, leading England to a stunning victory in Multan. England emerged victorious by an innings and 47 runs in Multan, overturning a precarious position after Pakistan’s formidable first-innings score of 556 all out.

However, England’s colossal first innings declaration at 823/7 set a towering target that proved too much for the hosts, who crumbled to 220 all out in their second innings. The partnership between Brook and Root was nothing short of historic, amassing a record-breaking stand of 454 – the highest-ever Test partnership for England. Brook’s monumental 317 earned him the Player of the Match accolade.

Meanwhile, Root’s stellar 262 not only contributed to the win but also saw him surpass Alastair Cook’s English record for the most Test runs, with his new tally reaching 12,664. Despite basking in the glory, Root was quick to commend his batting partner.

In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, he lauded Brook’s rapid development, saying: “I knew how good he was going to be, it was just when he was going to figure it out and the pace in which he’s matured into the player he is – it’s probably the one thing that has shocked me,” reports the Mirror.

“But at the same time it hasn’t because of his work ethic, the way that he looks at the game. Someone with so little common sense outside of cricket, the intelligence that he has when he’s got a bat in his hand and the understanding of different scenarios, and his own game is quite contrasting.

“Like I said, to see him go and play like that today was awesome, and to be stood at the other end for most of it was a real treat.” When asked if he wanted to respond to the jest about common sense, Brook chuckled: “I’ll let him have it later,” before being questioned on what he has learned from Root over the years.

In response, the young cricketer shared: “He’s one of the best players,” before humbly adding: “And England’s greatest-ever batter”. He went on: “I think what comforts you the most is watching how easy he makes it look and how hard it is for the bowlers to get him out.”

With an impressive 12,664 Test runs under his belt for England, it’s no wonder Brook regards his teammate as the finest English batter of all time, surpassing previous record-holder Cook, ‘The Master’ Jack Hobbs, and Kevin Pietersen. As Root sets his sights on the 2027 World Cup and shows no signs of hanging up his bat just yet, fans will be eager to see how much further he can elevate his already illustrious career.

England shattered 11 records during this week’s Test match against Pakistan. Root has made history by becoming the first Englishman to score over 20,000 international runs across all three formats. Meanwhile, Brook joined an elite group of only six English players to have scored a triple century, alongside Andy Sandham, Len Hutton, Wally Hammond, Graham Gooch, and Bill Edrich.

With a declaration at 823-7, England also achieved the fourth-highest Test total ever recorded. This is England’s highest total since 1938, the second-highest total by a visiting team, and the highest score by any team in Pakistan.