This was when the right-handed batter through the innings for England, Joe Root, reached a milestone of becoming his country’s all-time top run-getter in the red-ball format on the third day of the first Test being played at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Root resumed the day on 32 not out, needing a further 39 runs to eclipse Alastair Cook’s mark of 12,472 and the former captain eased past his target with an on-drive for four off Aamer Jamal before soaking up loud applause from the travelling English supporters.
This half-century along with his colleagues steered the team to 232-2 at lunch on the third day.
The visitors had earlier resumed their innings from 96-1 after the home team had piled up 556 in their first innings on a dead pitch. They lost Zak Crawley for 78 inside the first hour as the opener flicked one from Shaheen Afridi to Aamer Jamal at mid-wicket.
That abruptly ended the 109-run stand for the second wicket, but England were in no mood to slow down.
Duckett had been unable to open on Tuesday because he dislocated his left thumb taking a catch and showed no signs of the problem as he took to the crease and smashed spinner Abrar Ahmed out of the attack with three boundaries in the 30th over.
He needed only 45 balls to bring up his half-century as hosts struggled to keep the run rate under five an over. Lunch, batting for the English side at the crease is Root monopoly: 79*, Ben Duckett: 82*. The score reads 243-2 which puts the visiting team behind by a margin of 313 runs.
