Joe Root takes a look at Sachin Tendulkar's Test cricket record

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It was a week that shook the cricket world.

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There was Pakistan taken to the cleaners by England in a Test that will go down in history and then India bowled out Bangladesh to sweep their series.

However, at the top of that list was Joe Root's sensational knock in a muggy Multan in the first Test.

The former England captain, who was forced to resign from the captaincy after a dismal record, flourished with the bat and became the highest English Test scorer. In Multan, he scored 262 runs, which allowed him to overtake Sir Alastair Cook's 12,472 runs to take the top spot.

Root currently has 12,664 runs to his name and is fourth in the longest format of the game behind legendary Indian Sachin Tendulkar, who tops the list with 15,921 runs in 200 Tests, followed by South Africa's Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting of Australia and Indian Rahul Dravid.

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The 33-year-old Root is currently the only batsman within Tendulkar's shot while the rest have retired from the game.

So it was natural that the first question asked of the Englishman was whether he was pursuing Tendulkar's goal. But in typical Root fashion, his response was, “I have no idea. There's still some time.

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However, he revealed that he has spent a lot of time during the pandemic trying to improve his game.

“I've been working on my game during the pandemic,” he said. “There were some weaknesses and I made sure they weren't ignored. I also strengthened my strengths in the red ball game.

Several former international players believe that Root is young enough and there is an air of inevitability around him if he decides to retire at the top of the ladder.

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There was more drama on a flat wicket in Multan, apart from Root's 35th Test century. He combined forces with Harry Brook to put on 454 runs for the fourth wicket and guide England to a surprising 823 for seven and an innings and 47-run victory.

Who would have believed this score when Pakistan scored a remarkable 556 in the first innings with three centuries from captain Shan Masood (151), Abdullah Shafique (102) and Salman Ali Agha (104 not out).

However, England's bowlers dismissed Pakistan for a modest 220 in the second over, thus securing a record victory. While Root took center stage, it was 25-year-old Brook who established himself as the player to watch as he scored 317 runs and became England's fifth-leading batsman.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan caused quite a stir by benching their top three players in the second Test, which started on Tuesday on the same pitch as the first one in Multan.

The decision to exclude former Test captain Babar Azam has surprised fans and former Test players as he has been the country's best batsman of late, though his form has declined over the last few months. He was joined on the bench by the country's top fast bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Their absence will also be greatly felt.

The new faces in the squad include uncapped Haseebullah Khan, Mehran Mumtaz and Kamran Ghulam, who made an immediate impression.

The 29-year-old Ghulam scored a century on his debut and helped Pakistan score 259 for five on the first day. He received solid support from Saim Ayub, who scored 77 points and played at the third wicket, scoring 149 points.

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SAMSON LEADS THE LEAD

Sanju Samson has finally made his mark in the Indian national team.

Always looking from the outside, the star wicketkeeper grabbed his chances with both hands, smashing his maiden Twenty20 century against a sad Bangladesh in Hyderabad. India won the third and final Twenty20 match by 133 runs, making the score 3-0.

India did so at a breakneck pace, scoring 297 for six, the second-highest total in the shortest format of the game. He also registered the most boundaries in a Twenty20 competition with 25 and 22 sixes.

Samson, of course, led the way, scoring 111 off 44 balls, including eight sixes and 11 boundaries. Samson, who received tremendous support from new coach Gautam Gambhir, combined with captain Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 35 balls, and Hardik Pandya, who hit 47 off just 18 balls, to achieve this huge total.

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Samson and captain Yadav scored 173 runs for the second wicket, the third highest score in Twenty20 cricket.

In reply, Bangladesh were restricted to 164 off 7 balls, with Towhid Hridoy hitting 63 off 42 balls and Litton Das hitting 42 off 25 balls.

Spinner Ravi Bishnoi was India's top bowler, taking three for 30.

Back home, the Bangladesh management suspended head coach Chandika Hathurusingha with immediate effect on disciplinary grounds. He was replaced by former West Indies coach Phil Simmons.

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