Joe Root has surpassed Sir Alastair Cook as England’s leading run scorer in Test cricket, surpassing his former captain’s tally of 12,472 on the third day of the series opener against Pakistan. Root entered the match needing 71 runs to claim the top spot and achieved this milestone in his first innings, demonstrating his usual composure on the third morning in Multan. The 33-year-old secured the record with a check drive for four off Aamer Jamal, moving into fifth place on the all-time list in his 147th Test appearance—14 fewer than Cook managed before his retirement in 2018. The moment was marked with minimal fanfare, unnoticed by the local fans and acknowledged only with a brief exchange of gloves with batting partner Ben Duckett and a pat on the shoulder. It was a typically assured innings from the Yorkshireman, especially crucial after he arrived at the crease with England struggling at four for one in response to Pakistan’s formidable score of 556. While there is still much work to be done for England to secure their position, Root’s achievement will undoubtedly stand the test of time. In August, he matched and then surpassed another of Cook’s notable records, equaling then surpassing his record of 33 Test centuries with consecutive hundreds against Sri Lanka at Lord’s. At the time, Cook remarked on BBC’s Test Match Special: “He is quite simply England’s greatest, and it’s absolutely right that he should have this record, on his own. He’s just the final one to tick off...” This milestone now places Root below only Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, and Sachin Tendulkar—all of whom he will aim to overtake.