Joe Root creates history with double-century

First England batsman since 1954 to score 200 against Pakistan at home

Joe Root celebrates his double-century. (England Cricket, Twitter)

Manchester: A day after Virat Kohli cracked a double-century against West Indies to break many records, England’s Joe Root also listed himself among the greats with a double-hundred against Pakistan.

Root, who is always named among the best batsmen of this generation, hit his second double-century in Test cricket to create history at the Old Trafford here on Saturday.

With this double century, Root became the first England batsman to hit a double-century against Pakistan in a home Test since Denis Compton’s 278 at Trent Bridge in 1954. The gap between the two double-tons indicates the importance of Root’s innings. 

Root also became the second batsman in England cricket’s history to score a double-century at the Old Trafford cricket ground since 1964. Before Root, Kenneth Frank Barrington scored 256 against Australia at Old Trafford on 23rd July 1964.

Root completed his double-century with a reverse-sweep to boundary off Yasir Shah. He hit 22 fours in 355 balls to reach the 200-run mark. 

Just the reverse sweep for four to bring up 200 for @root66. What a shot, what a knock, what a player 🌟🌟 https://t.co/8uhXLEMNtN

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 23, 2016