Pak vs Eng – Joe Root reaches the batting heights his career was destined for

Root's point was that the record would simply be a byproduct of his larger ambitions: “I want to do more than that in this game,” he explained. He stayed true to his word even if he looked drained by the southern Punjab sun as he bowled out Abrar Ahmed for the single that gave him his 35th Test century.

In time, Root will reflect with great pride on his ascension into the pantheon of the greatest batters England – or indeed anyone else – has produced. However, his immediate focus was on putting England in a position to win that first Test: when he reached three figures, he kissed the badge on his helmet before raising his bat.

“I mostly feel tired. It was a long day,” Root said. “I'm proud of course, but I still feel like there's still a lot to do and a lot of runs to get. I'm sure that at some point, when I'm finished, I'll look back on it and be very proud of it.”

This was his first century in Pakistan, after a quiet tour two years ago. There remains only one glaring gap in his outstanding Test CV: Root has yet to either score a century or win a Test in Australia. He will be desperate to address both of these deficiencies as England look to win back the Ashes in just over a year.

Root had to contend with more threatening spinners than Abrar on this Multan highway in much tougher conditions. But he played it with complete ease throughout: he didn't score a boundary until he swung a full toss through midwicket to reach 166. Instead, he spent the day milking it mercilessly with flicks from his pads and steers through cover.

This was an innings that doesn't quite convert into a highlight package, more of a slow-burning epic than something small. Root hit just a dozen boundaries in 277 balls but left the Pakistan fielders ragged on a slow outfield with seven threes, 16 twos and an incredible 75 singles. He survived two unsuccessful lbw reviews but seemed under control throughout.

Longevity requires resilience – not just mentally, but physically too. Remarkably, Root has never missed a Test due to injury: he has played in 147 of England's 149 games since his debut, with the two exceptions being due to his absence (Sydney 2014) and the birth of his second child (Southampton 2020). .

He appeared to be struggling physically in the heat of the day and struggled up the stairs to the dressing room during tea. But after spending the break recovering – and wearing an “ice sleeve” around his neck – Root ran back to the middle in typical style. He was exhausted by the end, his foot movements limited due to exhaustion, but he maintained his concentration.

“Fighting through this heat all day shows how fit he is mentally – and physically,” Duckett said. “I was just out there for a short training session and it was hard working in that heat. I'm sure he'll sleep well. Between sessions we have a great support team and hydration and food preparation.” Meals are so important on a day like this – but to be honest I think he probably enjoyed it more just being in an air-conditioned room sit.”

Since relinquishing the captaincy two-and-a-half years ago, Root has progressed to a higher level as a batsman. It's not that leadership skills have had a negative impact on his batting performance – he averaged 46.44 as captain – but since then he has scored 10 hundreds in 30 Tests, averaging 61.11.

If he scores seven more runs on Thursday, Root will become the first Englishman to reach another notable milestone: 20,000 international runs across all formats. While most of them came in Tests, this milestone would be a reminder of his impressive ODI record – and his crucial role in England's only 50-over World Cup victory.

“Your best is always your next,” Root said, asking where his last hundred ranked among the previous 34. “You have to continue to stay hungry to find ways to continue to contribute and get better.” It's that hunger that has defined his career since he first picked up a bat.