Root's sixth double-century cements legacy as England's Test batting titan

Joe Root walked to the crease on Day 2 of England's first Test against Pakistan in Multan carrying the weight of a career already laden with records. By the time he left the field on Day 4, he had added another one—his sixth double-century in Test cricket, a milestone that places him second only to Wally Hammond among English batters and ties him with Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli among all players.

The innings unfolded with the deliberate accumulation that has become Root's signature. Arriving when England needed to respond to Pakistan's first-innings total of 556, he paired initially with Zak Crawley, who contributed 78 runs before his dismissal. Root pressed on with the methodical precision of a man who has spent nearly two decades learning how to bat in every condition the game offers. He brought up his century after lunch, off 167 balls, having already begun the work of stabilizing England's position. What followed was a succession of partnerships—136 runs with Ben Duckett, who made 84, and then an imposing stand with Harry Brook that carried England deep into the match.

Root's ability to rotate strike and manage Pakistan's spinners kept the hosts perpetually on the back foot. When he reached 200 not out, he had done more than score runs; he had shifted the entire complexion of the Test. England resumed Day 4 trailing by 64 runs with Root on 176. By the time he departed, the equation had reversed entirely, with Brook also reaching his century—his fourth against Pakistan—and England's first-innings deficit erased.

The double-century was his fifth century of 2024, placing him joint leader with Kamindu Mendis for the year. More significantly, it was his first Test century in Pakistan, a country where he had played three previous Tests without reaching three figures. The milestone carried particular weight because it demonstrated something Root has spent his career proving: that excellence in Test cricket is not bound by geography or opposition. He now has double-centuries across five different nations—India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, and England—a geographic spread that speaks to both his adaptability and his hunger.

In the process of building this innings, Root surpassed Alastair Cook to become England's all-time leading Test run-scorer, a record that had belonged to his predecessor for years. He now sits with over 12,472 runs, joining Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Rahul Dravid in the pantheon of Test cricket's most prolific batters. The double-century also allowed him to equal Dravid's record of 99 scores of 50 or more in Test matches, placing him joint third on the all-time list behind only Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, and Ponting. With his 35th Test century, he has now surpassed Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, and Mahela Jayawardene, each of whom scored 34.

Pakistan's bowling attack, despite its potency on paper, lacked the cutting edge needed to dislodge him. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was absent due to illness, and a dropped catch by Babar Azam represented the kind of reprieve that separates good innings from great ones. Root's composed reaction upon reaching the milestone—kissing the badge on his helmet and acknowledging the dressing room—reflected a man focused on the task rather than the accolades accumulating around him.

With six double-centuries now to his name, Root sits one shy of Hammond's tally of seven. The question circulating among observers is not whether he will break that record, but when. At 33, with his form showing no signs of decline and his hunger for runs apparently undiminished, the record appears less a matter of if than of timing. The series in Pakistan has only just begun.