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Harry Brook made history on the fourth day of the opening Test against Pakistan in Multan by scoring his maiden triple century, becoming the first Englishman in 34 years to achieve this milestone. The 25-year-old’s incredible performance saw him reach 300 runs with a boundary off spinner Saim Ayub, making him only the sixth English cricketer to reach this landmark in Test cricket.

Brook’s 300 runs came off just 310 balls, featuring 28 fours and three sixes. He was eventually dismissed for 317 runs from 322 deliveries, solidifying England's strong position in the match. In doing so, Brook broke Virender Sehwag's 20-year-old record of 309 runs against Pakistan at the same venue, marking the highest individual score recorded in Multan and the first triple century there.

This innings further establishes Brook as one of cricket's brightest young talents, following a stellar start to his Test career that includes three centuries during England's historic 3-0 series win in Pakistan in 2022. His performance places him alongside legends like Andy Sandham, Len Hutton, Wally Hammond, Graham Gooch, and Bill Edrich, all of whom have also crossed the 300-run threshold in Tests. Gooch was the last Englishman to score a triple century, achieving 333 against India at Lord’s.

Brook began his innings on Day 3, with England at a comfortable 249/3. He formed an extraordinary 454-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Joe Root, who narrowly missed his own triple century, falling from 262 to Agha Salman just after lunch. Together, their monumental collaboration propelled England past the 800-run mark, establishing a significant lead over Pakistan’s first-innings total of 556.

However, Brook’s record-breaking achievement and England's dominance have sparked criticism regarding the pitch conditions in Multan. Initially described by Pakistan's head coach Jason Gillespie as bowler-friendly, the surface has favored batsmen, leading to concerns reminiscent of the flat pitches seen in recent matches. This follows the controversy surrounding the Rawalpindi pitch in 2022, which received two demerit points for being excessively batter-friendly.

As Multan faces similar scrutiny, there is growing apprehension that such pitches, while enabling high scores and personal milestones, may pose a threat to the integrity and future of Test cricket.