Barring injury, Joe Root will go miles past my record: Alastair Cook

Former England captain and all-time leading run-getter for England in Test cricket, Alastair Cook, reckons the only thing that could stop batter Joe Root from surpassing his record would be injuries. Root, on June 5 (Sunday), completed 10,000 runs in Tests and became the joint-youngest batter to do so, alongside Cook. This came during his match-winning 115* against New Zealand at Lord’s, chasing 277.

Cook made his Test debut in 2006 and last played for England in 2018, appearing in 161 matches. He finished his Test career with 12,472 runs, with 33 hundreds, and stands fifth in the list of highest run-getters in the format. Other than runs scored, Root is only eight Test hundreds away from overtaking Cook’s record of 33 hundreds. Root’s former captain Cook said that the former could go “miles” past his record.

Joe Root’s consistency is incredible: Alastair Cook

Root made his Test debut in 2012 and shared the dressing room in the England camp with Cook until 2018. Coincidentally, the duo reached 10,000 Test runs at the exact same age of 31 years and 157 days. As of now, Root has 10,015 runs in Tests at an average of 49.57 and stands fourth in the ICC Test men’s batting rankings. He is only 49 rating points behind Marnus Labuschagne who is at the top, and he is below Steve Smith who is at second while Kane Williamson is at third. Cook also lauded the 31-year-old for his consistency and his ability to bat across formats.

“The person who could play the most incredible innings was Kevin Pietersen, but for the most complete batsmen in all three forms, it’s Root. His consistency is incredible. He was a very good player of spin, as good as anyone,” said Cook on BBC sport. “He was ready to play international cricket. You knew he could handle the occasion. Barring injury, he’ll go miles past my record.”

“I would never have said I would finish at 33, but the time felt right for me. The mental strain I felt to score runs took a toll on me. I’m not saying it’s easy for him, but he doesn’t seem to have that problem,” said Cook on Root being able to handle the pressure.