A square drive through the covers, a clip off the pads through midwicket, a late guide down to third, or even a playful reverse ramp—any of these could have been fitting ways for Joe Root to surpass Alastair Cook and become England’s leading run-scorer in Test cricket. Root has an arsenal of shots at his disposal, each capable of piercing or clearing the infield. Yet, as he steered England’s resurgence against Pakistan in Multan with his 35th Test century, it was a simple yet sublime on-driven four that took him to 71 before lunch on day three, surpassing Cook’s tally of 12,472 Test runs.
Cook held the English record for nine years, pushing Graham Gooch’s 8,900 into second place in 2015. Despite adding to his impressive total before retiring three years later, Cook likely knew he was merely keeping the seat warm for his teammate. While there were many fitting ways Root could have reached this milestone, there was only one way to truly mark it. Throughout his 12-year England career, Root’s mastery and generational talent have rarely been about self-promotion.
After guiding Aamir Jamal to the boundary, Root strolled down the pitch for a moment of reflection, exchanged punches with Ben Duckett, and modestly waved to the England balcony. With 335 runs still needed in the match, the job was far from complete. Root’s lack of ego and self-promotion may have hindered his full transcendence in the sport, especially given cricket’s paywalled existence in the UK. Despite being the man of the series in a home Ashes win in 2015, Root did not make the BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist.
Root is far from lacking in personality—he is a gem—but his understated excellence has never quite reached mainstream status, unlike Andrew Flintoff in 2005 or Ben Stokes in 2019. This year being more subdued for England’s Test side, the trend will likely continue. However, there is no doubt we are witnessing greatness. Since the start of 2021, Root has accumulated 4,755 Test runs at an average of 57.9, with 18 centuries, and returned to the top of the batting rankings for the ninth time in July.
Root’s golden run spans two chapters of his career. The first was the final 18 months of his captaincy, when personal excellence with the bat was crucial. His current post-captaincy phase, with 2,689 runs at 61.1 under Stokes’ leadership and the positive environment fostered by Brendon McCullum, highlights his lack of ego. Root has returned to the ranks without bitterness, unlocking a new level of play. Against fast bowlers, only Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah have consistently challenged him, while his game against spin remains peerless.
Mike Atherton noted that Root’s love for the sport, nurtured from a young age in a cricket-mad family in Sheffield, underpins his excellence. Most encouraging for England supporters is the promise of more to come. Cook retired at 33, but Root, now around the same age, shows no signs of dimming. With sharp eyes and a loose back, this will not be Root’s last milestone. An Ashes victory, a first Test century in Australia, and even a challenge to Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 15,921 Test runs are within reach.
