For Brook, who admitted he was merely trying to beat his father David’s highest score of 210, it was also testament to a fitness regime implemented when he missed England’s tour of India earlier this year.
Leaner, more agile in the field and with perhaps the safest pair of hands in the England team, Brook said he would have “got to 150 and slogged one up in the air” had he not got into such fine physical condition.
If Brook was bouncing back from a rough end of the summer, he had a partner in Joe Root who knows all about having his mistakes put under the microscope.
Root’s reverse-scoop at Jasprit Bumrah in the third Test in Rajkot in February was a moment of national crisis, but since then he is averaging in excess of 90.
Root assured his place in English cricketing history by going past Sir Alastair Cook as the country’s all-time leading Test run-scorer on day three. In combining with Brook, he picked up another record, sharing 454 for the fourth wicket for England’s highest partnership in Tests, a stand that challenged Pakistan to match the tourists’ spirit. It was a challenge they failed spectacularly.
Mercurial at the best of times, Pakistan are enduring an abysmal trot. Beaten by the USA at the T20 World Cup in June, winless in 10 home Tests, including a 2-0 defeat by Bangladesh a few weeks ago, they were brittle before this contest began, then broken by England’s will.
Their fielding fell apart, six of their bowlers shipped more than 100 runs and their batting was spooked by one Chris Woakes got to scuttle through Abdullah Shafique from the first ball of the second innings. Shafique stared at the hole where his off stump used to be, all too aware of what would follow.
England could have won by the end of the fourth day, only to end four wickets shy.
Still, they will probably wrap things up quickly enough for Anderson to be back on the golf course on Friday afternoon, and Stone can toast an England win on Saturday, just after he’s mentioned how beautiful the bridesmaids look.
The touring fast bowlers have managed plenty of rest, so have a good chance of being fresh for the second Test on Tuesday and Duckett’s thumb was working well enough for him to make 84 on Wednesday.
Even Stokes was prowling laps of the boundary on Thursday, like a caged tiger pawing at the ground.
Records are made to be broken. It is the spirit that is made to last.
