Joe Root made English cricket history by surpassing Alastair Cook as the all-time leading run-scorer for England in Test matches on Wednesday.
Joe Root
Joe Root made history on Wednesday by surpassing Alastair Cook to become England’s all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket. During the third day of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan, the 33-year-old reached this milestone with a stylish straight drive off Pakistan seamer Aamer Jamal, bringing his total to 12,473 runs, one more than Cook’s record of 12,472.
This achievement not only cements Root’s status as England’s top scorer but also places him fifth on the all-time Test run-scoring list, further solidifying his legacy as one of the modern greats. Recently, Root also broke Cook’s record for the most Test centuries by an English player, scoring his 34th during the second Test against Sri Lanka.
Top Run-Scorers in Test History:
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 15,921
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 13,378
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 13,289
- Rahul Dravid (India) – 13,288
- Joe Root (England) – 12,473
On Day 2 of the current Test, Root crossed 1,000 runs in a calendar year for the fifth time, joining legends like Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting. At just 33, Root’s career is far from over, and many believe he could challenge Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time Test run record.
Root’s innings came at a critical moment, as England lost their first wicket in the second over. He anchored the innings, forming a solid 109-run partnership with Zak Crawley, who scored 78 runs off 85 balls. By Lunch on Day 3, Root was on 72, poised to score another century and move ahead of cricket legends like Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, Sunil Gavaskar, and Younis Khan, all tied with 34 Test centuries.
