Harry Brook etched his name in cricketing history on the fourth day of the opening Test against Pakistan in Multan, smashing his maiden triple century in a breathtaking display of dominance. The 25-year-old, who continues to make waves at the international level, reached the landmark with a boundary off spinner Saim Ayub, becoming only the sixth Englishman to achieve the feat in Test cricket.

His remarkable 300 came off just 310 balls, laced with 28 fours and three sixes, as he led England to a commanding position in the match. Brook was eventually dismissed for 317 in merely 322 deliveries.

Brook surpassed Virender Sehwag's 20-year-old record in Multan, when the former Indian batter smashed 309 against Pakistan. It was the highest individual score at the venue and the only triple century scored in Multan until Thursday.

Brook's innings was the latest chapter in what has already been a stellar start to his Test career. Having already scored three centuries in Pakistan during England's historic 3-0 series win in 2022, Brook has cemented himself as one of the brightest young talents in English cricket. His innings in Multan placed him alongside English legends like Andy Sandham, Len Hutton, Wally Hammond, Graham Gooch, and Bill Edrich, who have also crossed the 300-run mark in Tests.

Gooch was the last batter to have scored a triple century for England before Brook, scoring 333 against India at Lord's.

Brook arrived to bat on Day 3 of the Test, with England comfortably placed at 249/3 in the 50th over. Alongside Root, Brook stitched an incredible 454-run stand for the fourth wicket.

While Brook's heroics took centre stage, his senior partner Joe Root was unlucky to fall short of his own triple century, dismissed for 262 by Agha Salman just after lunch. The pair's monumental partnership helped England pile up a mammoth total going past the 800-run mark, giving them a lead of over 200 against Pakistan’s first-innings score of 556.

Criticism over pitch conditions

However, Brook’s achievement, and England's dominance, have reignited concerns over the Multan pitch. Initially touted as a bowler-friendly wicket by Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie, the surface has instead played into the hands of the batters. Critics have pointed to the pitch as being yet another example of Pakistan’s recent trend of producing flat tracks, offering little for bowlers.

This follows the controversy surrounding the Rawalpindi pitch in 2022, which earned two demerit points for being overly batter-friendly.

With Multan now under similar scrutiny, there is a growing consensus that such wickets, while producing high scores and individual milestones, are detrimental to the future of Test cricket.

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