England stand-in captain Ollie Pope has hinted that Ben Stokes could return to the team for their second Test match against Pakistan in Multan, starting on Tuesday. 

With Stokes still nursing a hamstring injury, England cruised to an emphatic innings victory against Pakistan at the same venue in the opener, inspired by the brilliant batting performances of Harry Brook (317) and Joe Root (262).

The win by an innings and 47 runs, which came early on the fifth day, saw the tourists become the first team in Test cricket history to concede more than 500 runs in the first innings but still end up winning the match by an innings.

Asked about team news for the second of the three Tests on the tour, Pope let slip that Stokes could be involved.

“I don’t know. I'm actually not 100 per cent sure,” he added.

“He's been training really well this week. He's as keen as ever to get playing again, so fingers crossed he's all good.”

Pope has deputised as England captain after full-time skipper Stokes suffered a hamstring injury in August which saw him miss the home Test series against Sri Lanka.

The 33-year-old was included in the England squad for the Pakistan tour and was expected to return for the first Test, but failed to recover in time as the visitors scripted cricketing history in Multan. 

Ollie Pope labelled Joe Root as England's "greatest ever batter" after the former Test captain helped inspire England to an emphatic win over Pakistan.

Jack Leach took the three wickets England required on day five for the record-breaking innings and 47-run triumph, which handed the tourists a 1-0 lead in their three-match series.

The win saw England become the first team in Test history to concede over 500 in the first innings, and still end up winning by an innings. 

The turnaround was built on Harry Brook (317) and Root (262), as England amassed 823-7 before stand-in captain Pope declared, their highest total since 1938 and the fourth-highest in Test cricket history. 

In the process, Root moved onto 12,664 runs in the longest format, seeing him surpass Alastair Cook (12,472) as England's all-time leading Test run scorer. 

"What a player. I admire his consistency and longevity," Pope said of Root.

"I think he is playing his best ever cricket. When he gets on a hot run, he makes it count, and he is England's greatest-ever batter.

"He is a joy to be around in the changing room."

While Root tallied up his highest Test score, Brook became the sixth England player to score a triple-century.

Together, Root and Brook surpassed England's previous record partnership of 409 runs – set by Colin Cowdrey and Peter May against the West Indies in 1957.

When Root, who is now England's record run scorer in Tests, eventually fell, it brought an end to a partnership of 454 - the fourth-highest in the history of the longest format.

"From a personal point you want to put in those scores that's always the case for a batter, but it was a joy to watch the way Joe and Harry played," Pope said.

"Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley were awesome too – it was a joy to watch, and they're great players."

On the other hand, it was another humiliating defeat for Pakistan, who are enduring one of the worst periods in their history.

Pakistan are now winless in their last 11 Test matches on home soil, but captain Shan Masood said England's impressive display is something his side can learn from.

"Like I said, 220 in the third innings, depending on what kind of lead you have, can also be a good score," Masood said.

"The trick for us is that we should learn from England as well, they found out ways to get those 20 wickets. You can't win Test matches without taking 20 wickets.

"As a team, we have that second innings of batting to improve, but we must also take 20 wickets."

England sealed an innings and 47-run victory over Pakistan on Friday, with Jack Leach shining on day five.

After a dominant performance on day four, England went into the final three sessions within touching distance of what had seemed like an unlikely victory when Pakistan mounted 556 in their first innings.

Pakistan began the day requiring 115 to match England's huge total of 823-7, which Joe Root (264) and Harry Brook had propelled them to.

But with Abrar Ahmed unable to feature due to illness, Pakistan were left with just three wickets to play with, and Leach - playing in his first Test since January - needed little time to wrap up the victory.

Salman Agha (63) was trapped lbw inside four deliveries, while Shaheen Shah Afridi was caught and bowled on 10 before Leach's spin did for Naseem Shah, who was stumped by Jamie Smith to see Pakistan all out for 220.

Leach finished with figures of 4-30 as England celebrated an emphatic victory that gives them a 1-0 lead in the series ahead of the second Test, which will also be played in Multan, next week.

Data Debrief: Record breakers

England have now reeled off three straight wins when they have conceded a total over 500, a remarkable feat in and of itself.

In fact, this victory marks the first time a team has been hit for as many as 556, yet still gone on to win by an innings.

Pakistan, meanwhile, have now lost 11 Test matches on the bounce as hosts, and four in a row to England on home soil.

Joe Root says the records that have been broken in England's match against Pakistan will mean a lot more if they come in a victory.

England are in a strong position heading into day five in Multan, after a dominant display of force with both the bat and ball on a record-breaking day on Thursday left Pakistan requiring 115 runs with four wickets remaining, while the tourists also have a second batting innings in hand.

Root, who on Wednesday became England's all-time leading run scorer in Test cricket, put on a partnership of 454 with Harry Brook, who plundered 317.

Former England captain Root was eventually dismissed for 262, his highest individual score, bringing an end to the fourth-highest partnership of any wicket in Test cricket history.

Brook, meanwhile, became the second-fastest player to reach 300 in terms of balls faced, as he became the sixth England player to hit a triple-century and put Brendan McCullum's team on the fourth-highest score in a single Test innings (823-7 declared).

Reflecting on the records while speaking to BBC Test Match Special, Root said: "They are pretty cool things. It would mean a lot more if we can win this Test match. You look at the situation where they had 556 on the scoreboard and to be this ahead in the game is the best thing.

"So many good things have come from it and I am very pleased for Harry. I've never seen an England batter get a 300 and that was nice to watch.

"It's obviously nice and I am sure when I finish my career, I will look back and feel good about it. It will be a nice thing to look back on at the right time. I want to contribute for a long while and make big scores like this one and hopefully win more Test matches for England."

The celebrations from Brook and Root were not huge, and Root put that down to fatigue.

"There was a lack of emotions, partly down to the heat. Just the amount of energy that is taken out of you playing in these conditions is huge. It's been quite pleasing to acclimatise and just drawing that mental resilience," he said.

"I make sure I do the work and put myself in some really tough situations in training so that I am really ready for these conditions.

"I know I can bat for long periods of time and when it gets tough, I can get through it."

Triple-centurion Harry Brook and Joe Root led the way as an immaculate England dominated day four of their first Test against Pakistan.

England are on the brink of a stunning victory after amassing 823-7 before Ollie Brook declared on Thursday.

Root, who on Wednesday became England's all-time leading run scorer in Test cricket, put on a double-century, but was eventually pinned lbw by Agha Salman on 262, his new high-score in the longest format.

That brought to an end a remarkable partnership of 454, which is the fourth-highest for any wicket in history.

Brook slammed his way to 317 before he was eventually dismissed by Saim Ayub, as flurries from Jamie Smith (31) and Chris Woakes (17 not out) helped England mount their third-highest score in a single innings of Test cricket.

That left England's bowlers time to get on the attack, and get on the attack they did.

Abdullah Shafique was bowled by Woakes (1-29) with the very first ball, before Gus Atkinson (2-28) and debutant Brydon Carse (2-39) got in on the act.

Saud Shakeel (29) offered some resistance, but Jack Leach sent him packing, although Salman Agha (41 not out) and Aamer Jamal (27 not out) managed to guide Pakistan to 152-6, with the hosts – who trail by 115 runs having put on 556 in their first innings – surely stunned by being on the receiving end of one of the greatest days in England's Test history.

Data Debrief: Into the record books

England have recorded the fourth-highest single-innings score in a Test match. Two of the top three instances were also achieved by England (849 v West Indies, 1930 and 903-7 declared v Australia in 1938), with the highest score having been put on by Sri Lanka against India back in 1997 (952-6 declared).

A good omen for Pakistan was that only one of the three instances of a team putting on a higher score than England had resulted in that side going on to secure victory, with the other two matches drawn. However, the tourists' brilliant show of force with the ball has them well set to change that record.

Brook, meanwhile, became the sixth English batter to score 300+. However, he is the second-quickest batter in Test cricket to hit the landmark, putting on his triple-century in 310 deliveries. The only player to reach 300 in fewer deliveries was Virender Sehwag (278 balls) for India against South Africa in March 2008.

Joe Root is targeting "many more runs" after overtaking Alastair Cook as England's all-time leading Test run-scorer.

The 33-year-old surpassed Cook's previous high of 12,472 on day three of the first Test against Pakistan on Wednesday.

Root reached the mark by piling on 71 runs in the blistering Multan heat and reached 176 not out at the end of play with England 492-3.

"I'm obviously proud but still feel there is plenty more left to do, and many more runs left to get," Root is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.

"More than anything, the way we played as a team is what stands out - we've got ourselves back in a really good position."

Root's 12,578 runs consist of 35 centuries, 1,355 fours and 44 sixes, coming across 146 matches.

He is now fifth on the all-time list of run-scorers across all nations, with only Rahul Dravid (13,288), Jacques Kallis (13,289), Ricky Ponting (13,378) and Sachin Tendulkar (15,921) ahead of him.

And with time still on his side age-wise, Cook has backed the man who took his England record to overtake each of those legendary names.

"I would be betting on Root to do it," Cook told Test Match Special. "I don't see Root losing that hunger and ability to keep driving himself forward for the next couple of years.

"He's just this consistent run-scoring machine. There are other geniuses who can play genius innings, but Root is a genius with consistency."

England have never conceded as many as Pakistan's 556 and gone on to take a first-innings lead, but they trail by just 64 runs heading into day four.

"We've still got an opportunity to win the game, which is really exciting," Root added. "Hopefully we can kick on tomorrow."

Ben Duckett hailed "extremely humble" Joe Root after watching his team-mate become England's all-time leading Test run-scorer on day three against Pakistan.

Root needed 39 entering Wednesday's play in Multan to break Alastair Cook's record, and he surpassed that target with ease, ending the day unbeaten on 176 alongside Harry Brook.

In his 147th Test outing, Root drilled Aamir Jamal's delivery in the blistering heat to overtake Cook's previous record of 12,472 as England closed to within 64 runs of Pakistan on 492-3.

Duckett partnered Root for the historic moment and led the tributes at the end of play.

"He is extremely humble," Duckett, who recovered from a broken thumb to make 84, told Test Match Special. "It doesn't feel like you're sat around greatness. 

"He's just hungry for runs every time he goes out bat for England. It's incredible to be in the same dressing room as him and long may it continue."

Root now has 12,578 runs in 146 matches, which has seen him bat in 268 innings in total, with his tally consisting of 35 centuries, 1,355 fours and 44 sixes.

The 33-year-old is up to fifth on the all-time list of run scorers across all nations, with only Rahul Dravid (13,288), Jacques Kallis (13,289), Ricky Ponting (13,378) and Sachin Tendulkar (15,921) ahead of him.

England batting coach Marcus Trescothick added to Sky Sports: "We're lucky enough to sit and watch history being made as a man goes on to be the leading run scorer in his country.

"The way he goes about it, the work he puts in and continues to strive for greatness all the time. He's been superb and think will continue to be superb for a number of years yet."

Amid all the fanfare for Root, England will enter day four looking to create some history of their own.

The tourists have never conceded as many as Pakistan's 556 and gone on to take a first-innings lead.

"The pitch is not doing a great deal at the moment and to be in a position where we can say we can get [a lead of] 150-200 is an incredible effort," Duckett added. 

"The morning session will be important and if we can limit the damage, we can kick on in the afternoon."

Joe Root led England's fight against Pakistan as he scored an incredible century to become their all-time leading run-scorer in Tests on day three.

Despite their rocky start out in the field, England are firmly back in the contest thanks to Root and Harry Brook.

Root started the day on 32, picking up alongside Zak Crawley, with England at 96-1 as they began the long chase.

It looked like it might stall as Crawley was caught by Aamir Jamal for 78, but Ben Duckett (84), who was okay to bat despite injuring his thumb yesterday, steadied the ship once again.

Root made history with a sublime drive for a four, before then bringing up his 35th Test century as he batted through the intense heat to reach 176 not out.

When Jamal pinned Duckett for lbw, Brook arrived with his own century, getting 141 as England pushed to finish the day at 492-3, now only trailing Pakistan by 64 runs.

The tourists have never conceded as many as Pakistan's 556 and gone on to take a first-innings lead, but they have put themselves in a position to do just that on day four.

Data Debrief: History maker

Going into this Test, Root needed just 71 runs to overtake Alastair Cook's all-time record of 12,472, but he more than surpassed that.

At the end of day three, he is now on 12,578 in 147 matches, batting in 268 innings in total. His highest score in that time came against Pakistan (254), while his tally of 176 not out is his highest tally in the host country.

Root now has 35 centuries and struck 1,355 fours and 44 sixes.

Brydon Carse is confident England can catch Pakistan after making a strong start to their chase on day two of the first Test in Multan.

Test debutant Carse took 2-74 but could not hold Pakistan back as the hosts scored 556 in their first innings.

It left England, shorn of opener Ben Duckett due to an injury, facing a daunting task. But despite Ollie Pope going for a duck in the second over of their chase, the tourists were steadied by the excellent Zak Crawley and Joe Root.

Crawley got to 64 from as many deliveries, while Root moved onto 32. He is now on 12,434 Test runs, meaning he is only 39 short of surpassing Alastair Cook (12,472) as England's all-time leading run scorer in the longest format.

With the pitch having been kind to batters so far, Carse believes England are well in contention.

"We spoke last night. To have them 328 for 4, I think if you had that score back home in England you're probably behind the game a bit," he said.

"We've scored nearly 100 there in 20 overs.

"If we could come here tomorrow and bat positively and put their score under pressure, let's see where we're at at the end of the day, with two days still to go."

Reflecting on his first innings as a Test bowler, Carse said: "It's been hard work and hard toil over the last two days. But I've thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and being out there with this group of lads.

"I've had loads of messages over the last two days, from friends and family, from people that have supported me over the last 10 years since I moved to England.

"A couple of the guys and Stokesy [Ben Stokes] said to me after we fielded, 'Look Brydon, it's not going to get tougher than these first two days.' They promised!"

Carse also offered an update on Duckett, who sustained a thumb injury while fielding.

"Ben’s OK. He's just taken a knock," Carse said via BBC Sport. "He'll be assessed overnight and he'll be back batting tomorrow."

Zak Crawley and Joe Root's assured start with the bat gave England hope on day two of their first Test against Pakistan, after the hosts had again impressed with the bat.

Just like on day one, the tourists struggled in the field as Pakistan racked up an impressive total of 556, before overcoming setbacks to steady the ship late in the day.

England were unable to build on their strong finish to day one, which saw them take three late wickets to halt Pakistan at 328-4, but Brydon Carse (2-74) got a wicket on his debut to end Naseem Shah's stand of 33.

Saud Shakeel's 82 put the hosts further out of reach, but it was Salman Ali Agha's unbeaten 104 off 119 balls that kept the momentum firmly with Pakistan, though it almost turned out differently.

Chris Woakes made a spectacular boundary catch with Salman on 15, but it was ruled not out as Woakes was judged to have stepped beyond the rope, denying England a chance to drop the hosts to 420-7.

Though England at one point took four wickets for 76 runs, it did little to end the onslaught, and they finished Pakistan's innings on a low note as opener Ben Duckett hurt his thumb taking the catch on the final wicket.

Ollie Pope then opened in his place, but the stand-in captain was taken for a duck on just his second ball.

However, Crawley (64 not out) and Root (32 not out) managed to calm any nerves as they reached stumps at 96-1, though they still trail by 460 runs.

Data Debrief: Pakistan race out of the blocks again

After making a flying start on day one, Pakistan caught England out with a similar tactic on Tuesday, adding 64 to the fifth wicket before Naseem was made to walk.

Jack Leach (3-160) was the pick of England's bowlers as they struggled in the heat, but for the most part, the tourists had no answers as Salman became the third centurion in the Test so far.

They will be hoping Crawley and Root can continue defying Pakistan with their stand on day three, with the latter now just 39 runs away from overtaking Alistair Cook as England's all-time leading run-scorer.

Brendon McCullum does not believe England were missing James Anderson's coaching during a difficult start to the first Test against Pakistan.

Gus Atkinson got England an early wicket, but they soon struggled as Shan Masood, whose 43-ball half-century is the second-fastest by a Pakistan skipper in Tests, and Abdullah Shafique both struck centuries.

However, they made a strong finish to the first day, taking three wickets in the final session, with Pakistan reaching stumps on 328-4.

Anderson, who has been acting as England's fast-bowling consultant since his retirement, was not in Multan on Monday but is set to join up with the team on day two.

After a tough day in the field, McCullum insisted Anderson was still on hand to coach the players despite not being present, and believes this shows the impact he has already had on the side.

"Two months ago, you guys were saying that he didn't deserve to be a coach just yet," McCullum told Sky Sports.

"Now, it's like, 'We're missing him' - and I think that's a great affirmation of how good an impact Jimmy Anderson has made in a short period of time.

"He's got [WhatsApp] groups set up with the bowlers and is always feeding information through Jeetan Patel. We live in a world where you can still communicate without being face-to-face… I don't have any qualms whatsoever.

"I'm absolutely delighted for him that he gets the opportunity to do something he loves doing and when he gets here, he'll be right in the thick of it as he has done as bowling coach since he came in."

Masood and Shafique added a 253-run partnership for the second wicket but fell softly to Atkinson and Jack Leach before Chris Woakes had Babar Azam lbw as England gave themselves some hope in the closing stages.

Assistant coach Jeetan Patel, who was working with the fast bowlers in Anderson's absence, was particularly proud of how they kept pushing despite the heat.

"I couldn't commend them any more," Patel said. "I think the toil they put in today was high-end: the way they tried different things to take wickets, the different fields they had, the way they fielded.

"To take those three wickets tonight was a testament to the work they'd done in the first two sessions. We're pretty happy with how it's ended up, with them four down."

Three wickets in the final session kept England within reach on day one of the first Test against Pakistan, for whom Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood struck centuries in an impressive start.

The hosts reached stumps at 328/4 in Multan, but things could have been worse for England on a day that started with both teams keen to bat on a pristine surface. 

Masood won the toss and elected to bat, and it was his excellent knock of 155 off 177 deliveries – his first Test ton in four years – that helped to put them in a commanding position at 261/1 soon after tea.

England actually made a fast start as Gus Atkinson – playing in his first overseas Test – had Saim Ayub (4) caught behind by Jamie Smith, but if the tourists thought they had an early breakthrough, those thoughts were soon dispelled. 

Shafique put a poor run of form behind him with his watchful century, hitting 102 runs off 188 deliveries as Pakistan batted out the best part of two sessions without further loss.

He then fell victim to Atkinson in the 60th over of the day, playing a tired shot straight to England's stand-in captain Ollie Pope at cover, and within three more overs, Jack Leach had the wicket the tourists desperately craved.

Fatigue also looked to play a part as Masood tamely chipped Leach's delivery straight back to the bowler, bringing an end to his magnificent innings.

It was then time for Chris Woakes, who – like the rest of England's attack – had bowled expensively early on, to get in on the act.

He pinned Babar Azam lbw for 30, with a Pakistan review in vain as England gave themselves a chance to attack the middle order on Tuesday, the hosts only adding four more runs before stumps.

Data Debrief: Pakistan's progress slows

Pakistan knew they needed early runs to put Brendon McCullum's high-scoring tourists on the back foot, and early runs are exactly what they got.

Captain Masood led from the front, with his 43-ball half-century being the second-fastest by a Pakistan skipper in Tests, as he bids to halt the team's five-match losing run with him at the helm.

But things became steadier for Masood and his team-mates as the day went on. Pakistan's run rate stood at 4.88 by lunch, 4.48 by tea and 3.81 by stumps. England will hope they have weathered the storm and can go on the attack on day two.

Brendon McCullum says England are going into their three-match Test series against Pakistan with "realistic" expectations, and anticipates a tough test from their hosts.

England became the first side to achieve a 3-0 clean sweep in Pakistan during their last tour in 2022.

And Pakistan have had no success on home soil in the last two years, with a 1-0 defeat by Australia in early 2022 setting off a 10-match winless run, with Bangladesh the latest to triumph against them.

England are without captain Ben Stokes though, as he was ruled out of the first Test after failing to recover from a hamstring tear in time.

Despite recent history suggesting England may just have an edge, McCullum is taking nothing for granted.

"We go in with high hopes," McCullum told BBC Sport. "There will be no excuses whatsoever if we don't get where we need to get.

"We're also realistic this is going to be a tough series, because Pakistan in their own conditions, as history would suggest, it's a tough ask."

McCullum also brushed off concerns he was worried about not having James Anderson, who has been acting as their fast-bowling consultant since his retirement, with them for the first day.

"Jimmy has been a great resource for us, but prior to that, we didn't have a pace-bowling coach as such," he added.

"In the world we live in, communication is easy. Jimmy is in constant communication with the guys. I don't think it's a big issue."

For Pakistan, Shan Masood has lost all five Tests since being appointed captain last November, including the 2-0 defeat to Bangladesh in August.

"There is a lot of hurt within the players," Masood said. "This year, 2024, has not been a good year for Pakistan cricket all over, and we like to see our fans happy.

"The answer is to be positive. We let the past go. We have tried to maintain consistency in selection. We haven't had any chopping and changing because we have lost a few games.

"We believe in this set of players and with Jason Gillespie we wanted to create a squad mentality. The players are being backed to turn things around."

The first Test between England and Pakistan begins on Monday in Multan. 

England captain Ben Stokes is out of their first Test against Pakistan having failed to recover from a hamstring tear in time.

Stokes suffered the hamstring injury in August playing in The Hundred and has not played since, missing England's three-match series against Sri Lanka last month.

England said last week that the 33-year-old was "on track" to participate in the tour and trained away from the rest of the team in their first session.

Stokes confirmed he will miss the first Test, which begins on Monday in Multan, and Ollie Pope will continue to deputise as captain in his absence.

"I tried my hardest to get myself fit for this game but have taken the call to miss this one because I've not quite managed to get game-ready," Stokes told BBC Sport.

"There is a lot that has to go into my rehab programme. We got to a certain point, but looking at the picture of what we've got coming up and physically where I'm at, I'm not quite ready to play.

"It's always frustrating to miss out. I've got some good things to focus on, so even though I'm not playing, I've got a goal in mind."

The second Test starts on October 15, but the all-rounder admitted he was not sure whether that was a realistic target for his return.

"I've pushed myself incredibly hard and worked really hard with the medical team to get to where I'm at now. I think I'm further ahead than what we expected," he added.

"I'll be working just as hard over the next 10 days to try to get myself fit for the second Test."

In his absence, Durham seamer Brydon Carse will make his England Test debut.

He has previously played 19 ODIs and four T20s for England and will make his red-ball bow just over a month after completing a three-month ban for historical gambling offences.

England XI for first Test against Pakistan: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Bryson Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.

Ben Stokes is a doubt for England's three-match series in Pakistan, with Zak Crawley admitting they do not know if he will be fit to feature.

Stokes tore his hamstring playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred competition, forcing him to miss the side's last three matches against Sri Lanka, with England winning the series 2-1.

At the end of September, the captain underwent a planned scan which showed he was “on track” to feature in the series, although he was not expected to bowl at the start.

Stokes had been hoping to make his return in the series opener on Monday, but looked uncomfortable in England's first training session, and is yet to be given the green light.

"I think he's got to do a few more tests, but he's been doing some running and stuff," Crawley said.

"He seems to be going well, recovering well from his injury, [but] we don't know just yet. We feel ready, whatever team comes out, it will be a nice balance either way.

"We've got a really deep squad with plenty of options with the ball and with the bat as well."

If Stokes is available to play, they could have some selection headaches, as they would be forced to drop one of the top six batters with his inclusion to make way for an extra bowler.

If they do not drop a batter, they could rely on Joe Root, who could also make history as he has 12,402 runs for England in men's tests and is just 71 away from surpassing Alastair Cook (12,472) as the all-time leading run-scorer.

Crawley, meanwhile, has been cleared to feature after recovering from a broken finger that kept him out against Sri Lanka. 

"I feel brand new. I'm looking forward to getting out there," Crawley added.

"I couldn't pick up a bat for five weeks. I've certainly missed it, so I can't wait to get out there again with the boys.

"It was a nasty break at the time, but I've recovered well, and I don't feel it at all while I'm batting.

"I won't go at slip, just from advice from the doctor, but I feel like I could. I'm trying to rest it, but I did a few catches, and it feels fine. I'm just trying to follow the professional advice."