Harry Brook Scores 202 in Rawalpindi, the First England ODI Double Century
Brook reaches 200 from 114 balls, the fastest double century in ODI history, as England post 429-4 in Pakistan
By AXY Pakistan Desk ·
Key points
- Harry Brook scored 202 against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, the first double century by an England batter in a one-day international.
- He reached 200 from 114 balls, the fastest double century in ODI history, beating the 117 balls Shubman Gill needed against West Indies.
- England finished on 429-4, the highest one-day international total ever made in Pakistan.
- Brook hit 10 sixes and 21 fours in a 116-ball innings and passed Ben Stokes's previous England best of 182.
- England had lost the tri-series opener against Pakistan on the same ground on Tuesday, which prompted Brook's call for more positive batting.
Harry Brook has done something no England batter had managed in a one-day international. The England captain hit 202 against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Thursday, becoming the first England player to score a double century in this format. He was out to the final ball of England's innings, which ended on 429-4, the highest one-day international total ever made in Pakistan.
The innings was more than one personal milestone. It broke a record that had stood since 2023, reached 200 faster than any batter in the history of the format, and gave England a total that will be talked about for a long time in Pakistan. For a player who is still only 27, and who leads the side, it was a night that will stay with him.
How Brook's 202 Passed England's Old Best
For readers who do not follow the game closely, a one-day international, or ODI, is a limited-overs match. A batter who scores 200 or more in one innings has made a double century, and in this format it is one of the rarest achievements in the sport.
Before Thursday, the highest score by an England batter in an ODI was 182. Ben Stokes made that score against New Zealand at The Oval in 2023. Brook went past it with a lot to spare. His previous best in the format was 136 not out, also made against Sri Lanka, so this innings was a major step up for him as well as for England's record books.
The innings also places Brook among the game's elite. It was the 14th double hundred in a men's one-day international, and it ranks as the 12th highest individual score in the format. Those lists are short, and getting onto them takes a batter who can stay at the crease for a long time and still hit the ball hard when it matters.
The 114-Ball Route to the Fastest Double Century
Brook reached 200 from 114 balls. That broke the record for the fastest double century in ODI history. The old mark was the 117 deliveries India's Shubman Gill needed to score a double century against West Indies last month. Brook beat that by three balls, which may sound small, but at this level every ball is a chance for a bowler to take a wicket or a fielder to take a catch.
The speed of Brook's innings is the story of the day. Scoring 200 in 114 balls means he averaged close to a run every ball across the whole innings, and his total of 202 came from 116 balls faced. A run is a unit of scoring, and a batter who keeps the scoreboard moving at that rate puts enormous pressure on the bowling side, because every over becomes a chance to lose control of the match.
An Innings Built in Two Halves
Brook's knock did not begin with an explosion. In his first 24 deliveries he scored only 13 runs. That is a patient start, and it gave him time to read the conditions and the Sri Lankan bowlers before he began to attack. Once he started, he moved quickly, reaching 50 from 42 balls.
His hundred took 75 balls, and it was his fourth century in ODIs. The second hundred was even more ferocious. After reaching 100, he went from 100 to 200 in just 39 balls. That is the phase in which the innings turned from impressive into historic.
The way he scored was as important as the speed. Over 116 balls, Brook hit 10 sixes and 21 fours. A six is a hit that clears the boundary without bouncing, and a four is a hit that reaches the boundary along the ground. He scored all around the ground, mixing new shots with heavy power and soft touches placed into gaps. Few batters can switch between those styles in the same innings, and Brook did it with Sri Lanka's bowlers unable to find a settled plan.
Why Brook Pushed His Batters to Be More Positive
The innings had a clear backdrop. England had lost the opening match of the tri-series against Pakistan on the same ground on Tuesday. A tri-series is a competition in which three teams play each other before a final, so every defeat matters, particularly at the start.
After that loss, Brook asked his batters to show more positivity. Captains often make that kind of call after a poor result, but the words only carry weight if the captain follows them. On Thursday he did, and he did it in the most visible way possible, by batting on a scale that left no room for doubt about what he wanted from the side.
That matters because teams in limited-overs cricket are often judged on how quickly they score as well as how many runs they make. The scoring rate, or run rate, is the number of runs scored per over. A team that hits quickly early and keeps the rate high in the closing overs puts its opponents under pressure from the first ball, and Brook's innings showed exactly what that looks like when it works.
The Partnerships That Carried England to 429-4
Brook did not do it alone. Tom Banton made 50, and Ben Duckett played a slower innings of 29 at the top of the order. Those two gave the innings a start, but the match was really shaped when Brook joined Joe Root.
Together Brook and Root added 159 runs for the third wicket. A wicket in cricket means a dismissal, so a third-wicket partnership is the stand between the batters who come in after the second wicket falls and the innings that follows. A stand of 159 for that wicket gave England a platform and kept the scoreboard moving while Brook attacked. It was that partnership, more than any single shot, that helped England reach their enormous total.
What 429-4 Means for Sri Lanka and for Pakistan
England's 429-4 is the highest one-day international total ever made in Pakistan. For the team batting second, a score of that size is a very large target. Chasing a total that high requires the side to score at a faster rate than most teams manage, and the bowling side has to take wickets to keep the chase under control.
Sri Lanka's bowlers had little answer to Brook's hitting. Their attack had no clear way to stop him once he began to accelerate after his slow start. Whatever the plan had been, it did not hold up once Brook passed 100, and the visitors ended up facing a total that few teams have ever had to chase in this country.
For Pakistan, the record is a reminder that the same ground that hosted England's defeat on Tuesday also hosted their biggest total in this format. Rawalpindi has now seen two very different results from the England side in the same series, and the difference between them is largely down to how the batters approached the match.
What Comes Next for England in the Tri-Series
The tri-series is still in its early stages. England lost their first match, so Thursday's innings was about more than a single game. A team that begins with a defeat needs momentum, and a record-breaking innings from the captain gives England a fresh start in the competition.
The next test is whether England can build on this performance. Brook showed what is possible on a good pitch when the top order gives him time and the middle order can keep the scoring rate high when he is not at the crease. The batting order will now be watched closely to see whether Brook's form carries through the rest of the series, and whether the batters around him can match his attitude.
For cricket fans in England and Pakistan, the lasting image is likely to be the 100 runs that took Brook from 100 to 200 in 39 balls. He turned a steady start into one of the fastest and most aggressive double centuries the format has seen, and he did it in a match England needed to win after a difficult start to the series.
Questions and answers
How many runs did Harry Brook score against Sri Lanka?
Harry Brook scored 202 runs in Rawalpindi from 116 balls, with 10 sixes and 21 fours. He was out to the final ball of England's innings.
Why is Harry Brook's double century a record?
It was the first double century by an England batter in a one-day international, and it passed Ben Stokes's previous England best of 182. Brook also reached 200 from 114 balls, the fastest double century in ODI history.
What was England's total in Rawalpindi?
England scored 429-4, the highest one-day international total ever made in Pakistan. Brook added 159 for the third wicket with Joe Root.
What comes next for England in the tri-series?
England lost their opening tri-series match against Pakistan on the same ground earlier in the week. Brook's innings gives them a fresh start, and the next test is whether the rest of the batting order can support him.
Topics: Harry Brook, England cricket, Sri Lanka cricket, Pakistan cricket, Rawalpindi, One-day internationals, Ben Stokes, Joe Root
Sources: BBC News