Joe Root shatters Alastair Cook's all-time record for England in Test cricket to immortalise legacy
Joe Root is currently the leading run-getter in the history of the ICC World Test Championship. The former England captain has become the first player in history to score 5000 runs in the World Test Championship.
by Edited By: Kumar Rupesh · India TVJoe Root's blazing run of form has helped him achieve another huge milestone as the right-handed batter has become the all-time leading run-getter for England in Test cricket, surpassing his former captain Alastair Cook's tally of 12472 runs.
Root has also made it to the list of the top five leading run-getters in Test cricket. Only Sachin Tendulkar (15921 runs), Ricky Ponting (13378 runs), Jacques Kallis (13289 runs) and Rahul Dravid (13288 runs) have scored more Test runs than Joe Root.
Most Test runs for England
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average | Highest | Centuries | Fifties |
| Joe Root | 147* | 12473* | 50.85 | 254 | 34 | 65 |
| Alastair Cook | 161 | 12472 | 45.35 | 294 | 33 | 57 |
| Graham Gooch | 118 | 8900 | 42.58 | 333 | 20 | 46 |
| Alec Stewart | 133 | 8463 | 39.54 | 190 | 15 | 45 |
| David Gower | 117 | 8231 | 44.25 | 215 | 18 | 39 |
| Kevin Pietersen | 104 | 8181 | 47.28 | 227 | 23 | 35 |
Root has also drawn level with India's legendary batter Rahul Dravid. Root now has 99 fifty-plus scores to his credit in the red-ball format - same as Dravid. Sachin Tendulkar has the most fifty-plus scores in Test cricket. Sachin has 119 fifty-plus scores in Tests.
South Africa's legendary allrounder Jacques Kallis and former Australia captain Ricky Ponting are joint second on the list. Kallis and Ponting have 103 fifty-plus scores to their credit.
Meanwhile. Root is on a record-breaking spree. The former England captain recently became the first player to score 5000 runs in the ICC World Test Championship. He has also become the first player to score 1000 Test runs in the 2024 calendar year.
Joe Root key for England in Multan
Root is the key for England to win the ongoing Test match against Pakistan in Multan. England have scored 232/2 at Lunch on day three with Root batting in the middle on 72 off 118 balls. He has already stitched a 100-plus run stand with Ben Duckett for the third wicket and holds the key for the visitors to get a huge first innings total.