Joe Root scored a majestic unbeaten century after surpassing Alastair Cook as England's top run-scorer in test cricket and guided the team to 492-3 at stumps on the third day of the opening match against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Root started the day on 32 not out, still requiring another 39 runs to surpass Cook's total of 12,472. The former skipper was not out long in scoring his milestone - he eased to his goal with an on-drive for four off Aamer Jamal before soaking up the loud applause from the travelling English fans.
He then thwarted cramps after lunch to bring up his 35th century with a reverse-sweep and appeared to be stealing the game away after cruising to 176 not out at the close with England behind by 64 runs.
Fellow Yorkshireman Harry Brook was batting on 141, a fine knock that followed Ben Duckett's quick-fire 84 earlier.
On a flat flat track at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Pakistan's bowlers were helpless as England wrestled it back from them on a fourth day in which everything had to be wrestled. Root reached his fifty over an inside edge and survived a loud lbw appeal to overhaul Cook's record and into the top-five in the all-time list behind Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, and Sachin Tendulkar.
Resuming on 96-1 after Pakistan had compiled 556 in their first innings, England lost Zak Crawley for 78 inside the first hour of the day when the opener flicked one from Shaheen Afridi to Aamer Jamal at mid-wicket.
That almost broke the back of their resistance but England were in no mood to slow down.
And Duckett, who dislocated his left thumb while taking a catch and was unable to open on Tuesday, showed no signs of the issue as he took to the crease and smashed spinner Abrar Ahmed out of the attack temporarily with three boundaries in the 30th over.
That he needed just 45 deliveries to reach his half-century was not enough to save him from the lbw trap of Aamer in the afternoon session, as his 136-run stand with Root was broken and England was left at 249-3.
There was no respite for Pakistan as Brook ensured that the run rate did not drop below five an over at tea with his breezy effort helping England post their third consecutive century stand of the innings.
To make matters worse for the hosts, Brook bizarrely survived a scare in the evening session when the ball hit the stumps after bouncing off his helmet grill and the bails did not fall off.
He quickly shrugged off that incident to complete his sixth ton before swelling his unbroken stand with Root to 243.
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