Joe Root: Yorkshireman vows to stay 'hungry' after breaking England's all-time Test run record against Pakistan
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Published 09/10/2024 at 18:18 GMT+1
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Joe Root surpassed Sir Alastair Cook's record of 12,472 to become England's highest all-time Test run-scorer on day three against Pakistan. The Yorkshireman put up an unbeaten 176 as England edged closer to their hosts' first-innings total of 556, and Root was keen to focus on the team's resolute fight back, rather than his individual brilliance. But he insisted there were "many more runs to get".
'Got to ready yourself for everything' - Root looks ahead to challenging Pakistan series
Video credit: TNT Sports
Joe Root vowed to keep posting “many more runs” after becoming England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer.
The Yorkshireman surpassed Sir Alastair Cook’s tally of 12,472 on day three of England’s first Test against Pakistan, arriving at an unbeaten 176 as the tourists rallied to 492-3.
England are just 64 shy of their hosts’ first-innings total of 556, while Root now lies fifth in the all-time highest Test run-scorers table, 3,343 runs short of record-holder Sachin Tendulkar.
And the 33-year-old promised to stay “hungry” and keep improving when asked by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for his thoughts on his historic feat.
“I’m tired; it’s been a long day,” smiled Root. “I’m obviously proud but I still feel there’s plenty more left to do and many more runs to get,” he said.
“I’m sure I’ll be looking back on it at some point when I’m finished and be very proud of it.
“I always think your best [hundred] is your next one. You’ve got to keep staying hungry and willing to find ways of contributing, ways of getting better.”
Ben Duckett, his batting partner when Root eclipsed Cook’s total, spoke of his humility after the day’s play and Root was characteristically keen to put the team’s achievement above his own.
“But I think more than anything just the way we played today really, as a team is what stands out,” said Root.
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“I thought everyone played exactly how we wanted to. We knew it was a good pitch and we took the scoreboard pressure out of the situation and put ourselves back into a really good position.
“We know how quickly things can happen here later on in a Test match and we’ve put ourselves in a nice spot now. Hopefully, we can kick on again tomorrow.
“We’ve still got an opportunity to go and win this game which I think is really exciting.”
Stokes hails 'incredible' Root
England’s injured captain Ben Stokes also hailed his former skipper’s unselfishness, adding that it would take “a long, long time” for anyone to breach his 12,578 Test runs and counting.
“He always puts the team first, and the fact that he’s got so many runs is just a bonus for us. He’s an incredible player,” said Stokes in an interview posted by the ECB.
“It’s going to take a long, long time for someone to come in and break that record. Just a great bloke. And an unbelievable feat to score that many runs.
“But the non-selfishness that he possesses is one thing I think sets him above or sets him apart from anybody else who is going to play for England for a long time.”
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