Alastair Cook reacts as Joe Root breaks his England Test runs record

Joe Root reached a historic milestone during England’s Test match against Pakistan in Multan

Joe Root has overtaken Alastair Cook to become England’s highest Test run-scorer (Reuters)

Joe Root beat Sir Alastair Cook’s record during England’s first Test match against Pakistan in Multan, to become England’s highest-ever run scorer in Test cricket.

Root sent a straight drive past Aamer Jamal to reach a total of 71, taking him past his former teammate Cook’s total of 12,472 Test match runs.

Now aged 33, Root brought up the milestone in his 147th Test, 14 fewer than Cook took to reach the same number, and sits fifth on the list of highest Test run scorers of all time.

Sachin Tendulkar sits at the top with 15,921, and Ricky Ponting second with 13,378, then Jacques Kallis’ 13,289, and Rahul Dravid with 13,288 before Root.

Cook said on BBC Test Match Special: “I can see Root overhauling Sachin Tendulkar’s record. When I retired, I thought there was every chance that my record will be broken. I thought only the effects of captaincy and the hunger that takes out of you would stop him. I think the fact that Ben Stokes has taken over the captaincy has helped Root.

“You could say Sachin is still the favourite but just. He’s been so lucky with injuries. All great players who played for a long time have been lucky with injuries. You just never know what’s around the corner, but it has to be something like it that could stop him. But I don’t see that happening for Root to lose that hunger and ability to keep driving himself forward for the next couple of years.

“The only slight hurdle in his way will be the Ashes series – there is always something happening around the series. It’s in 14 months’ time and there’s always a story about the damage that happens or doesn’t happen around every Ashes series.

“I’d give Sachin 51% and Root 49%. But I would be betting on Root to do it.”