Salman Ali Agha's 3rd Test hundred helps Pakistan achieve historic milestone against England

The ongoing opening Test of the three-match Test between Pakistan and England delivered another unforgettable moment, as Salman Ali Agha etched his name into history with a blistering century at the Multan Cricket Stadium on October 8.

Salman lit up the ground with his fabulous batting and notched up his record hundred off just 108 balls, hammering 10 boundaries and sending the ball soaring for three towering sixes at the Multan Cricket Stadium. It was Salman’s third Test hundred at the venue in Multan.

Salman Ali Agha's century fuels Pakistan's dominance over England

His century came in the 146th over when England spinner Jack Leach offered a tempting flighted ball down the leg side. A calm and composed Salman knelt down and executed a perfectly timed sweep towards deep backward square leg, racing through for the single to complete his stunning hundred.

As the crowd erupted in joy, Salman sprinted in celebration, embracing a remarkable milestone that now places him alongside Pakistan's elite cricketers. He was the third centurion in the ongoing first Test against England in Multan after Abdullah Shafique (102) and captain Shan Masood (151).

This is the only fourth time that three Pakistan batters have scored a hundred against England in the same Test innings. This happened back in 1971 in Birmingham, followed by at the Oval in 1987, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in 2022, and now in Multan on Tuesday.

Salman Ali Agha is the third centurion for Pakistan in the same innings 💯👏

This is only the fourth time that 3⃣ Pakistani batters have scored centuries in the same innings against England 🤯#PAKvsENG #century #hundred pic.twitter.com/BhX7eQAMII

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) October 8, 2024

Salman Ali Agha celebrates ton in his traditional style

Speaking about his celebration, Salman Ali Agha lifted his bat and helmet high, planting a kiss on the badge adorned on his helmet. His teammates cheer from the balcony, joined by Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie, celebrating a stellar performance from the all-rounder.

He came to bat with an aggressive mindset and expertly dismantled the spinners, which set the tone for his innings. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten at 104 runs off 119 balls to help the Pakistan team post a mammoth total of 556 runs on the board against England in Multan.

Speaking about the Multan Test, England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope was dismissed for a two-ball duck by the young Pakistani pacer Naseem Shah, but since then the hosts are still searching for the wicket.

England opener Zak Crawley is already set at 32 runs off 33 balls, while Joe Root would certainly look to extend his form after facing 25 deliveries for just 11 runs in Multan. Notably, Joe Root has completed 1,000 test runs this year in the ongoing Test.

We want to get back to winning ways: Shan Masood

Well, Pakistan captain Shan Masood has already declared at the toss that they want to show the world what they can do, and the way they kicked off the England series, their intent is crystal clear from Day 1.

Masood said at the toss, “We asked for a good cricket wicket. Both teams are stacked with good batting lineups. We have been in winning positions and not won from there; it has caused some hurt amongst the team and the cricket fraternity. We want to get back to winning ways, and hopefully these bunch of guys can do that.”