“Yorkshire’s Finest: Brook and Root Ignite England Success in Multan”

Sitting here in Harry Brook and Joe Root’s native Yorkshire as the rain lashes at the windows, one could be forgiven for thinking Multan (Pakistan) was on a different planet, such was the sweltering heat and aridity on show this week. Yet in truth, the pair, cruising to England’s record test partnership as they set the team up for victory, seemed more at home than their Pakistani counterparts. 

It was the perfect example of how to structure an innings in the subcontinent—patient under pressure, but ruthless when the bowlers made mistakes.  This Pakistan side continue to be a source of deep confusion. A side containing two high class fast bowlers in Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi and batters (including the talismanic Babar Azam and Mo Rizwan) who are surely capable of scoring big runs, have lost their last 6 games in a row, a new record. Some much needed runs from Captain Shan Masood (151) and Salman Agha’s  (104*, 64) form were perhaps the only positives for the hosts. It is a damning indictment though on a side so full of talent, that their best option for success in the 2nd test is to roll the dice: craft a spin friendly pitch and hope England’s batters fail more spectacularly than their own. 

In addition to the (deserved) praise for Root and Brook, there must also be recognition of how well England bowled. Bowlers who could justifiably point to a lack of preparation for this series dug deep, and managed to conjure enough zip and movement to reduce their hosts to an all but fatal 82-6 on the 4th day. Whilst the Pakistani shot selection was at best questionable, Brydon Carse looked every inch a test bowler for his four wickets, and Chris Woakes must be commended for his ability to extract every ounce of movement on offer from the surface – a skill some thought he was now incapable of in overseas conditions. Jack Leach was also excellent, once more delivering for England in Asia after being demoted for Shoaib Bashir, his Somerset teammate, during the English summer. 

Make no mistake about it, England needed this win. Just as Multan appeared worlds apart from Yorkshire, this iteration of Bazball appears a long way from the golden days of 2022, with a shock defeat to Sri Lanka and a battering in India leaving McCollum not without his critics. This display, then, could be seen as a model for a more refined, considered ‘Bazball’. At its core remains an emphasis on player freedom and expression, but without the recklessness they have sometimes been accused of playing with. 

In any case, Brook and Root serve as testaments to the importance of commitment to the five day game, Root having never missed a test match through injury, and Brook dedicating his time away from the game over the winter to improving his physical fitness. It would be unfair on Root to describe this as a ‘changing of the guard’ moment – he is simply the best batter in the world right now – but it did demonstrate for all to see, that just as Yorkshire has produced stars of England’s past and present, in Brook, they may just have done so for the future as well. 

Words by Freddie Waterland

image credit: BBC