England batsman Joe Root achieved a significant milestone on Thursday, joining the esteemed company of Virat Kohli in the realm of international cricket. Root's exceptional performance against Pakistan in the first Test in Multan propelled him past the 20,000-run mark, making him only the second active cricketer to achieve this feat after Kohli. Kohli boasts an impressive 27,041 runs across various formats, while Root reached this milestone after scoring a remarkable 183 runs on Day 4 of the match.
Root's journey to surpassing the 20,000-run mark was not without its challenges. He was fortunate to survive a dropped catch by Babar Azam when he was on 186, denying Naseem Shah a crucial breakthrough. Undeterred by this stroke of luck, Root elevated his performance and secured his sixth double-hundred in Tests, placing Pakistan under immense pressure.
In addition to surpassing Alastair Cook's record for the most Test runs by an Englishman, Root also exceeded Cook's five double centuries. He now stands as the second batsman, behind Wally Hammond, with the most Test double hundreds for England. Hammond, who retired in 1947, had an impressive seven double centuries to his name.
Most runs in international career among active cricketers
Virat Kohli: 27041 runs
Joe Root: 20079 runs
Rohit Sharma: 19276 runs
Kane Williamson: 18266 runs
Steve Smith: 16362 runs
Since scoring yet another century on Thursday, Root has gone on to break several records. On Day 3, he surpassed former England captain Alastair Cook's tally of 12,472 runs to become England's all-time leading run-scorer in Tests.
During England's tour of Pakistan two years ago, Root only managed to score one half-century, despite the team winning the series. However, this time around, he has carried on his impressive form from the series against Sri Lanka at home and has continued to perform at the highest level.
Also read| PAK vs ENG: Joe Root equals Sachin Tendulkar's record with heroics in Multan Test
