Alastair Cook names the next record Joe Root will break after England’s landmark
Joe Root he also cemented his position as one of cricket’s greatest batsmen by passing Alastair Cook to be England’The leading scorer of all time. Root achieved this milestone during the first Test of the series against England Pakistanhe needs just 71 runs more than Cook’s total of 12,472 runs. On day 3, with a perfectly timed direct drive, Root achieved the milestone. Root’s record success did not end there. He is now fifth in the list of Test run-scorers, only behind him Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis again Rahul Dravid.
Alastair Cook and Joe Root: England’s two heroes
Cook, the former England captain and ahead of Root as the leading run-scorer, praised Root for the achievement. Cook, who held the record with 12,472 runs for several years, remembered well that he was the one who introduced Root in his first Test against India in 2012. Watching Root grow from a promising talent into one of England’s best has been a source of pride for Cook. . Notably, Root surpassed Cook’s record by 14 runs, underscoring his incredible consistency and unrelenting hunger for runs.
Root’s reaction to breaking Cook’s record
Surprisingly, Root’s reaction to breaking the record was underrated. He didn’t show much emotion when he passed Cook’s milestone but welcomed many of his teammates, incl James Anderson again Ben Stokescoming out of the field. When asked about Root’s humble response, Cook shared his thoughts on the BBC’s Test Match Special:
“I was surprised. He would know about the record, but he probably has bigger goals in mind. He probably has bigger fish than me, maybe that explains it. I don’t know what his intention is but he has not lost his desire to continue scoring runs,” Cook said.
“Returning to the ranks after holding the captaincy is not easy, I was missing something after that, but he has put him on another level with equality. I have never seen the hunger he has to beat someone. Everyone has a small flaw in their technique but with Rooty it is a small flaw, you will have to nitpicking to highlight his weakness. He was always working on something, he was always looking to improve and tune in a very systematic way. I am happy to see him batting now, he is easy on the eyes,” the 39-year-old added.
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Cook’s bold prediction for the final record
Although Root has held it at the top of the England table, his journey is yet to end. Cook believes Root may be up for the challenge Sachin TendulkarThe highest number of Tests is 15,921. Although more than 3,000 runs still separate Root from Tendulkar, his current form, averaging over 60 in Tests since 2023, gives him a realistic chance of closing the gap. Cook admitted that Tendulkar’s record remains a target, but backs Root to give it a chance.
“I can see that. When I retired I remember wondering if Rooty would break my record. I thought,” comments the commentator turned cricketer.
“Sachin is still the favourite, because 3,000 is still a lot of runs. You never know what’s around the corner but it would take a drop or injury for Rooty to stop because I don’t see him losing his hunger or ability. The only obstacle is probably the Ashes because something always happens in that series. That thread can do some damage. I think Sachin is the favorite but I support Rooty to get there,” Cook concluded.
Before looking at Tendulkar, Root will first aim to surpass the total of Rahul Dravid (13,288 runs), Jacques Kallis (13,289 runs) and Ricky Ponting (13,378 runs). Cook admitted that, with 34 centuries and an average of 51, Root’s career is already legendary. However, he expects that Root’s incredible run-scoring will continue to push him to the top of the all-time cricket rankings.
Root’s influence on the war between England and Pakistan
Root’s contributions were critical during the first Test against Pakistanwhere England needed a strong reply after Pakistan posted a formidable 556 in the first innings. Root led England’s batting, helping the team to 341/3 and sharing a valuable partnership Zak Crawleyy once Ben Duckett. His continued brilliance with the bat set the stage for a massive 50-run partnership with the stand-in captain. Harry Brookas he also smashed his 35th Test century. This century put him above such legends Sunil Gavaskar and Brian Lara, once again proved Root’s quality in the world of cricket.
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