Root breaks Cook's record - how he scored his runs

Joe Root has overtaken Sir Alastair Cook to become England's highest Test run-scorer of all time.

Root eclipsed Cook's tally of 12,472 Test runs when he hit an elegant straight drive back past Aamer Jamal to reach 71 against Pakistan on day three of the first Test in Multan.

The 33-year-old, who is playing in his 147th Test, reached the landmark in 14 Tests fewer than Cook, and now sits fifth on the all-time list.

He made his Test debut against India in Nagpur in 2012 and since then has hit 34 Test centuries, with a top score of 254 against Pakistan.

Sheffield-born Root, who captained England in a record 64 Tests, is now only behind India's Rahul Dravid, South Africa's Jacques Kallis, Australia's Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, also of India.

The legendary Tendulkar, who played in 200 Tests, tops the list with 15,921 runs, but Root is on target to eclipse that mark if he continues in the same vein of form over the next three to four years.

The Yorkshire right-hander, who averages just over 50, is in some of the best form of his career - averaging 61 since the beginning of 2023.

Root, who broke the record at 07:49 BST on the same day his younger brother Billy is due to get married in south Wales, brought up his 35th Test century in the afternoon session of the third day, reaching 176 not out at the close.

'Hunger, determination and relentlessness'

While Alastair Cook was strong off his legs and through square on the off side, Joe Root has spread his scoring areas a little more evenly

Root's record-breaking feat has been lauded by a number of former England players, including the man whose record he has now surpassed.

"Root would have known [he had broken the record]. You just do, don't you?" Cook told BBC Test Match Special. "And what a shot to do it.

"Probably for Joe Root now, he's got bigger fish to fry.

"I don't know what his exact aim is, but he's not lost that hunger and desire to keep on scoring runs. Losing the captaincy and going back into the ranks wasn't an easy thing. It's as if it's taken him to another level on consistency."

Root has built his career on a careful accumulation of runs and has gone back to that method since his infamous dismissal by Jasprit Bumrah in India in February, when he was caught at second slip trying to reverse scoop the fast bowler.

"He's been averaging 75 or something since that moment, extraordinary numbers," added Cook.

"It was kind of a reality check for him and I've never seen that hunger, determination or relentlessness in anyone's batting. He does that in an elegant way."

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew added: "It's a tremendous achievement. He can tick that off, he's done. I’m sure when he gets his phone out, one of the first people he will text will be Alastair Cook.

"It's highly likely that whatever Root's final [Test run] tally will be, it will never be beaten."

Among the England greats Root has passed in recent years are David Gower and Michael Atherton, both of whom were in Multan to witness him reach the top of England Test run-scoring list.

"It's a remarkable achievement, he's been a remarkable player," Atherton said on Sky Sports.

"He's been so consistent over the years and he's done it in a way which is so pleasing on the eye. Nasser Hussain so often references Root's character.

"He's a very nice lad, which adds another element to it. Sportsmen should be judged on sport but if you're a good lad with it, that's an extra notch too."

Gower added: "It's an extraordinary feat. Both Alastair and Joe mastered the art of scoring runs in big quantities and mastered the art of staying at the crease long enough to make big runs.

"They have slightly different styles. I think even Alastair will admit Joe Root has an easier-on-the-eye style than he did but both had supreme qualities and determination.

"In Joe's case, he seems to enjoy it so much that the thought of getting out is so painful."

Root's tinkering bears fruit

by Soham Sarkhel, CricViz analyst

There was a phase between 2017-2022 where Joe Root was particularly susceptible to lbw dismissals against pace bowlers: almost 22% of his dismissals against pace were of this nature.

During this time, his average interception point against pacers was 1.79m in front of the stumps. Since the start of 2023 though, this has moved to 2.17m – a difference of almost 40 cm, which has help to take lbw out of the equation as much as possible.

Only 11% of his dismissals have been through lbw against pace in this period – almost half of what it was between 2017-2022.

Year-on-year, he has stepped out just a little bit more to reach a point where he is now batting furthest from the stumps than he ever has in his Test career.

Just an indication of how much he thinks about his batting and his willingness to improve despite being already a Test great.

Breaking down Root's runs