Joe Root Surpasses Alastair Cook as England’s Leading Test Run-Scorer

Several records were shattered on the third day of the Multan Test during England’s tour of Pakistan in 2024, most notably with Joe Root surpassing Alastair Cook to become England’s leading run-scorer in Test cricket. Root achieved this milestone by reaching 71 runs with a straight drive to the boundary on the third morning at the Multan International Cricket Stadium. His teammates and coaching staff gave him a standing ovation as he acknowledged the momentous occasion.

Having started the tour 70 runs shy of Cook’s total of 12,472 runs, Root has now also moved into fifth place on the list of all-time Test run-scorers. He has accumulated 12,578 runs from 268 innings, whereas Cook had taken 291 innings to reach his mark. Root’s record-breaking performance further saw him finishing the day unbeaten on 176, marking his 35th Test hundred.

Root’s consistency has been remarkable; he joins elite company by surpassing the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Younis Khan in terms of Test centuries. With 35 hundreds, only five players have more centuries in Test cricket. Even more impressive, he has now scored a hundred in every country he has played in, barring Australia.

In the ongoing calendar year, Root has amassed 1,162 runs with five centuries, marking the fifth time he has surpassed 1,000 runs in a year. His continued excellence suggests potential to chase Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record of 15,921 runs. Alastair Cook has expressed confidence in Root’s capability to break this record, noting that Root’s hunger for success appears undying.

Alongside Root, Harry Brook also starred on the third day, remaining unbeaten on 141. Brook achieved his sixth Test century with four of those in consecutive Tests in Pakistan. This performance places Brook in the rare company of players like Brian Lara and Jacques Kallis, who have scored centuries in four consecutive Tests against a single nation.

The unbeaten partnership of 243 runs between Root and Brook is now England’s highest for any wicket in Pakistan, surpassing the previous record held by Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett for the first wicket. Moreover, England’s score of 396 on the third day ranks as the third-highest ever recorded in a full day’s play in Pakistan.

Root’s feats have not just established records but have also sparked discussions on the potential direction of his cricketing journey. Despite his monumental achievements, Root asserts that he remains focused on enjoying the sport for as long as possible.