October 9, 2024: Joe Root reached a monumental milestone on Wednesday during the first Test between England and Pakistan in Multan by surpassing Alastair Cook to become England’s all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket.
Root overtook Cook’s tally of 12,472 runs when he reached 71 runs in England’s second innings, marking the achievement with a single off Pakistan’s spinner Abrar Ahmed. At that point, Root stood at 12,473 runs, placing him as England’s top Test run-getter.
Root’s remarkable record came in his 146th Test match and 267th innings since debuting against India in 2012. With an average of 50.62 and 34 centuries, including 5 double centuries, Root has been a cornerstone of England’s success in the longest format. The England dressing room erupted in applause to honor Root, underscoring the significance of the moment in English cricket history.
Alastair Cook, who retired in 2018, had held the record with 12,472 runs for several years. Root’s achievement now places him ahead of his former teammate and closer to legends like Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, who hold the second and first places, respectively, for most Test runs.
At lunch on day three, England were well placed at 232/2, with Root unbeaten on 72 alongside Ben Duckett on 80. Pakistan had earlier posted a formidable total of 556, with key contributions from Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, and Agha Salman.
England Playing XI:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
Pakistan Playing XI:
Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (C), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Agha Salman, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.
