Root overtakes Cook as England's leading scorer in Tests

Legendary Alastair Cook has been surpassed by Joe Root as England's all-time greatest Test batter. Joe Root achieved the milestone of becoming England's highest run-scorer during the ongoing series against Pakistan. Until now, this record belonged to Alastair Cook.

Root came to bat in the first Test against Pakistan just 70 runs behind Cook. He then surpassed Cook by scoring a century in the first innings. Former England captain Cook's total stands at 12,472 runs.

Cook took 161 matches to score 12,472 runs, while Root achieved this feat in 14 matches less, making the Multan Test his 147th in Test cricket. With his century in the first innings against Pakistan, Root now has a total of 35 centuries.

Before the series started, discussions were already underway about Root breaking records. Alongside breaking Cook's record, Root has also secured his place as the fifth-highest run-scorer of all time. The list is topped by Sachin Tendulkar, followed by Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Rahul Dravid.

Regarding the breaking of his record, Alastair Cook told British media outlet BBC, "When I retired, I believed there was every chance my record could be broken. Root has more opportunities to advance. I hope his hunger for runs remains the same. I would also highlight the contribution of Ben Stokes' captaincy in Root's achievement. He has supported Root in every way."