England's Joe Root has etched his name among cricket's greats, becoming the seventh player in history to score 1000 Test runs in a calendar year five times. He joins the esteemed ranks of Brian Lara, Matthew Hayden, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, and Alastair Cook, all of whom have achieved this remarkable feat. The only player ahead of him is India's Sachin Tendulkar, who has reached the milestone in six calendar years.
Players Who Have Scored 1000 Test Runs in a Calendar Year (5 or More Times):
Root's achievement came during the first Test match between England and Pakistan, where the contest is finely balanced after two days of thrilling cricket at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
On Day One, Pakistan put themselves in a commanding position, posting a total of 328/4 at stumps. The backbone of their innings was a solid 253-run partnership between opener Abdullah Shafique (102) and skipper Shan Masood (151), who both registered impressive centuries. The hosts ended the day on a high, setting a strong platform for a big first-innings total.
Resuming from their overnight score, Pakistan built on their strong start with a century from Salman Agha, who smashed 104* off 119 balls, featuring 10 boundaries and three sixes. Contributions from Saud Shakeel (35*) and tailender Shaheen Afridi (26) helped Pakistan amass a formidable total of 556.
Despite a late flurry of wickets, Agha’s brilliant knock ensured Pakistan passed the 500-run mark. England’s bowlers, including Jack Leach and Joe Root, took late wickets to wrap up Pakistan’s innings.
In response, England faced early trouble as Ollie Pope fell for a duck in the second over, but Joe Root and Zak Crawley counterattacked with a 92-run partnership. By the end of Day 2, England reached 96/1, still trailing by 460 runs. Root remained unbeaten, continuing his stellar form with the bat.