Pakistan vs England: “Records are made to be broken, minds are made to last”

For Brook, who admitted he was simply trying to better his father David's top score of 210, it was also testament to a fitness regime he adopted when he missed England's tour of India earlier this year.

Leaner, more agile on the field and perhaps with the surest hands in the England team, Brook said he would have “reached 150 and shot one in the air” if he had not been in such good physical condition.

As Brook recovers from a difficult end to the summer, he has had a partner in Joe Root who knows exactly how to examine his mistakes.

Root's setback to Jasprit Bumrah in the third Test at Rajkot in February was a moment of national crisis, but his average has been over 90 since then.

Root secured his place in English cricket history by overtaking Sir Alastair Cook as the country's all-time leading Test run-scorer on the third day. Combining with Brook, he set 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 that they failed spectacularly.

Pakistan have been mercurial even at their best but have had a miserable run. Beaten by the USA in the T20 World Cup in June, winless in 10 home Tests, including a 2-0 loss to Bangladesh a few weeks ago, they were fragile going into this competition and then broken by England's will.

Their fielding collapsed, six of their bowlers managed more than 100 runs and their batting was frightened by one when Chris Woakes scurried through Abdullah Shafique from the first ball of the second innings. Shafique stared at the hole that used to be his off-stump, all too aware of what was to follow.

England could have won at the end of the fourth day only to find themselves four wickets behind.

Still, they'll 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, right after mentioning how beautiful the bridesmaids look.

The touring fast bowlers have managed plenty of rest and therefore have a good chance of being fresh for the second Test on Tuesday, and Duckett's thumb worked well enough to reach 84 on Wednesday.

Even Stokes was sneaking laps over the boundary on Thursday, like a caged tiger pawing the ground.

Records are there to be broken. It is the spirit that is made to last forever.