England certainly didn’t possess the upper hand after Pakistan amassed 556 runs, bolstered by three centuries. The misery grew when the Three Lions faced an early setback with Ollie Pope’s wicket, but Zak Crawley and Joe Root came to the rescue combining for a solid 109-run partnership. The pair kept the scoreboard ticking, guiding England to 113/1 in 24 overs. Following the returnee’s dismissal, Ben Duckett looked in excellent form, providing great support to Root as they built a formidable 136-run partnership. Duckett fell just short of his century, scoring 81 runs, while Root continued his stellar performance, reaching a brilliant century—his first in Pakistan.
The defining moment came on the second delivery of the 63rd over when Abrar Ahmed bowled a fuller delivery on the middle and leg stump. Root executed a reverse sweep to backward point, completing his 35th Test century with a single. After taking the run, he removed his helmet, kissed it and raised his bat in celebration. The entire English contingent in the dressing room erupted in appreciation for Root’s knock and the milestone he achieved in the longest format of the game. In response to Root’s impressive performance, social media was abuzz with praise for his achievement.
— alex (@AlexHivklzzyh) October 9, 2024
Joe Root – The best in the 🌍 #PAKvENG
— George Plank (@_georgeplank_) October 9, 2024
True
Saans leti hu ki ye sala joe root century mar deta hai 😭
— Saurabh 🇫🇷 (@5t20icentury) October 9, 2024
Another one
HUNDRED FOR JOE ROOT
His 35th test hundred and first in pakistan pic.twitter.com/2CvzKGusaf— junaiz (@dhillow_) October 9, 2024
Joe Root 99 pe tha aur reverse sweep khelke Century puri karta hai, bhai ka confidence dekh ke hil gaya main. 😂👏 pic.twitter.com/OuN6aMSIyU
— Faiz Fazel (@theFaizFazel) October 9, 2024
Legend
35th century for joe root. Having a great peak now
— VARUN KURUP (@OKAYASYOUSEE) October 9, 2024
GOATed
HUNDRED BY JOE ROOT.
– Hundred number 35. What a consistent player pic.twitter.com/Eg1AOjbVX0— Muzamal Dhother🇵🇰 (@MuzamalDhother) October 9, 2024
35th Test ton, 5th ton in 2024 and 1st in Pakistan – there’s no stopping Joe Root! 💫#PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/ysbdX5eRg4
— ThePoppingCrease (@PoppingCreaseSA) October 9, 2024
Big day
35th test century for Joe Root 🥹🔥
— 𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜 (@shubmanuniverse) October 9, 2024
Inching closer
🚨 Most centuries in test career :
1. Sachin Tendulkar – 51
2. Jacques Kallis – 45
3. Ricky Ponting – 41
4. Kumar Sangakkara – 38
5. Rahul Dravid – 36
6. Joe Root – 35*#ENGvsPAK #wtc pic.twitter.com/wZM90PdSvH— Bharu (@the_chillax) October 9, 2024
