Ramiz Raja
Former Pakistan captain on Test Match Special on BBC Sounds

The application and focus ball after ball, it's an incredible innings from Joe Root. It's an herculean effort.

250 for Joe Rootpublished at 125.4 overs

125.4 overs

Eng 634-3

And there is Joe Root's 250!

Brought up with a reverse scoop that trickles to the boundary.

Root's second 250 against Pakistan and he's now just a couple of runs short of his highest ever Test score.

Andy Zaltzman
Statistician on Test Match Special

Harry Brook needed 245 balls with one six and 18 fours for his first Test double century in his 19th match. He has 1750 runs and averages over 60.

It's his fourth 100-plus score in four Tests in Pakistan.

200 for Harry Brookpublished at 125.1 overs

125.1 overs

Eng 628-3

Simple as you like. Harry Brook punches the ball through point for a single to take him to his maiden Test double hundred.

A super knock from an extraordinary talent and his fellow Yorkshireman Joe Root wanders down the pitch to congratulate him.

He gets there from 245 balls and has the chance to pile on many more runs today before he's done.

Ramiz Raja
Former Pakistan captain on Test Match Special on BBC Sounds

The problem is that Pakistan will now have to bat superbly well in the second innings, but their track record of batting sensibly on day four and five is not great off late.

England will hope to put on another 200 before declaring, I feel.

Last ball of Salman Ali Agha's over and Harry Brook pushes the ball into the covers.

He sets off wanting two but Naseem Shah sprints in and restricts them to a single.

That keeps Brook on strike to start the next over. He's on 199...

Image source, Getty Images

England have not had two double-centurions in the same innings since Graeme Fowler and Mike Gatting against India in 1985.

Across all teams it has happened 10 times this century, including twice in 2023 - by Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis and Nishan Madushka against Ireland and New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls against Sri Lanka.

Aatif Nawaz
BBC Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

It was the most delicate of touches from Joe Root. He waited on the bounce and guided it away.

It doesn't feel like much of a contest between Root and Shaheen Shah Afridi at the moment.

After getting two with an elegant straight drive, Joe Root adds his 16th boundary by opening the face and guiding the ball to deep third.

Expertly done and, even having been at the crease for so long, Root is starting to move through the gears.

Three twos in a row to end the over, great balance, timing and placement on show to give fielders in the deep the run-around.

After getting tied down for most of the over, Joe Root brings out the reverse scoop to end the over.

Muhammad Rizwan read it but Root gets it over his head for three.

The partnership between Root and Harry Brook is now 361 - that's England highest against Pakistan, beating the 359 that Zak Crawley and Jos Buttler put on at Southampton in 2020.

Andy Zaltzman
Statistician on Test Match Special

This is Harry Brook's highest Test score, beating the 186 he made against New Zealand in Wellington last year.

This partnership is also now into the all-time top 10 for England knocking Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad's eighth-wicket stand of 332, which also came against Pakistan in 2010, down into 11th.

It would have been a wasted review, UltraEdge showed there was no bat involved.

Aatif Nawaz
BBC Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

Shan Masood is shaking his head, saying we are not going to review that. But Shaheen Shah Afridi is still staring at his captain and still asking him for the review.

Something to encourage and frustrate Shaheen Afridi in equal measure as he draws a rare false shot from Joe Root.

The England right-hander plays and misses outside off.

Good bowling but at 606-3, I can't imagine Pakistan are much interested in moral victories.

This partnership, now worth 356, has crept into the top 10 for England in Tests. The top five are:

411 C Cowdrey & May v West Indies, Edgbaston, 1957

399 Stokes & Bairstow v South Africa, Cape Town, 2016

382 Hutton & Leyland v Australia, The Oval, 1938

370 D Compton & B Edrich v South Africa, Lord's, 1947

369 Barrington & J Edrich v New Zealand, Headingley, 1965

It's understandable to some extent given the situation but this really is about as negative a bowling plan as you'll see from Salman Ali Agha.

He's essentially just firing the ball about a foot down leg and asking the England pair to try and sweep.

The umpires have had enough and he is wided twice before switching to over the wicket.

Joe Root gets three with a reverse, the runs keep coming but, let's be honest, this is not scintillating cricket by any stretch.

Records continue to tumble, although this is more of a personal milestone for Harry Brook as a single takes him to 187, his highest score in Test cricket.

Joe Root isn't too far away from his best of 254 either, actually.