'Many more runs to get', says record-breaker Root
· BBC SportStephan Shemilt
Chief Cricket Writer in Multan
Joe Root said there are “many more runs still to get” after he overhauled Sir Alastair Cook to become England’s all-time leading Test runscorer.
Root went past Cook’s mark of 12,472 when he got to 71 on day three of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan.
The 33-year-old carried on and on, registering his 35th Test century and batting through the day for his unbeaten 176, taking England to 492-3 and a deficit of only 64 runs.
“I’m obviously proud, but still feel there’s plenty more left to do,” said Root.
Root’s tireless effort in the heat, allied to 141 not out from Harry Brook, has put England in a strong position in the series opener, despite Pakistan racking up 556 in their first innings.
Only once before have England conceded more runs in the first innings of a match and gone on to win, 130 years ago against Australia in 1894.
“I’m sure I’ll look back at it when I’m finished and be very proud of it, but I think more than anything just the way we played today as a team is what stands out,” said Root.
“We’ve still got an opportunity to win the game, which is really exciting. Hopefully we can kick on tomorrow.”
Root is playing his 147th Test, 12 years after making his England debut in India.
By passing Cook, Root has climbed to fifth on the all-time list of Test runscorers from all nations, behind greats of the game Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar tops the list with 15,921, just over 3,000 ahead of Root.
And Cook believes Root can better Tendulkar, even though Root is now already older than Cook when he retired at the age of 33 in 2018.
“I would be betting on Root to do it,” Cook told Test Match Special. “I don't see Root losing that hunger and ability to keep driving himself forward for the next couple of years.”
Cook flagged the Ashes series in Australia in the winter of 2025-26 as one potential obstacle for Root to overcome.
Root has toured Australia on three previous occasions, including twice as captain, but has never won in any of the 14 Tests he has played there and is yet to make a hundred down under.
“The only slight hurdle in his way will be the Ashes series - there is always something happening around the series,” said Cook, who was captain on Root’s first Ashes tour, a 5-0 defeat in 2013-14.
“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.”
For now, Root has the opportunity to shape another famous England win in Pakistan after they triumphed 3-0 here two years ago.
England seem set to bat well into the fourth day, hoping to gain a big lead over the hosts, but still leaving enough time to bowl out Pakistan again on an incredibly flat pitch.
“We have to earn the right to make a decision about what we want to do,” said Root. “There is still quite a lot of cricket to be played in this game.
“Things can happen quite quickly towards the back end of the game. We’ll continue to work hard to take advantage of this great start we’ve got.”