Harry Brook admits he had no idea the rank of England greats he was joining with his stunning triple hundred on the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan.
The 25-year-old became the first English batter since Graham Gooch in 1990 to make 300 and one of only six players to ever achieve the feat.
Brook said Gooch was the only player he was aware of and he was more focused on “cashing in”.
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“I knew about Gooch but I didn’t know about the other ones,” Brook, who scored 317 from 322 balls, told Sky Sports.
“It feels pretty good. It was a good wicket and I just wanted to cash in as much as possible.
“I’m just glad the team is in a strong position to win the game tomorrow.”
England piled up the fourth highest total in Test cricket history – 823 – before declaring seven down after Brook and Joe Root made history with a partnership of 454 runs.
That gave them a lead of 267 and by the close of play Pakistan were 152 for six – still trailing by 115.
“We had a lot of fun out there. We didn’t much to be fair. It was hot and hard work but we enjoyed it,” Brook said of his stand with Root.
“What comforts you the most when you are out there is how easy he makes it look. To watch how slow he makes the game look comforts you at the other end.”
Root contributed 262 but said he did not think he would get to 300.
“I wasn’t going to score quick enough to get there. It was all about getting in a position to have a real shot at winning this game,” he said.
“We knew we had to put the work in to get to this position and that last session, the way we bowled, was fantastic.
“You have to play on the fact they have been out there for long periods of time and the mental disintegration.”
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Root said he knew a long time ago his county team-mate would go on to be a star.
“I knew how good he was going to be, it was just when he was going to figure it out,” he added.
“The pace he has matured into the player he is is probably the one thing which has probably shocked me.
“But at the same time it hasn’t because of his work ethic and the way he looks at the game.
“For someone with so little common sense outside of cricket the intelligence he has with a bat in his hand and his understanding of different scenarios and his own game is quite contrasting.
“To see him go and play like that today was awesome and to be stood at the other end was a real treat.”