Alastair Cook finally got the final five runs needed to break Sachin Tendulkar's 11-year-old record as he reached the 10,000 Test run-mark in the 2nd innings at Durham and become the first England player to reach the figure and also the youngest batsman to do so
At last Sachin's record goes! Alastair Cook becomes youngest to reach 10K Test runs
Alastair Cook should thank Sri Lanka's Dinesh Chandimal and Rangana Herath for ensuring that England have to bat again in the second Test at Durham's Chester-Le-Street and giving him the opportunity to get to the landmark of 10,000 Test runs.
Cook didn't waste this golden opportunity and got the final five runs needed to reach the milestone, thus becoming the first England player to reach the figure and also the youngest batsman to do so.
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THE MOMENT COOK REACHED 10,000 TEST RUNS
The moment Alastair Cook reaches 10,000 Test runs with a classic glance off his pads. Look at that smile ðÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂu00c2u0098ÂÂu00c2u0084ðÂÂu00c2u009fÂÂu00c2u0098ÂÂu00c2u0084 https://t.co/jgLHT68Xfh
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 30, 2016
The England skipper had needed just 36 runs to reach the milestone before the first Test at Headingley, but, couldn't achieve it as he was dismissed for 16 runs in the first innings. England defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and with it went Cook's chance to reach the milestone in the first Test.
England's captain Alastair Cook celebrates after he reaches 10,000 test runs on the fourth day of the 2nd Test match vs Sri Lanka at the Riverside in Chester-le-Street, north east England, on Monday. Pic/AFP
The 20 runs he needed at the start of the second Test were still too much for the opener in the first innings. He managed only 15, leaving him five agonising runs short of the magic figure. Sri Lanka being forced to follow on for the second Test in succession, it looked as if he would have to wait until the third Test at the 'Mecca of cricket' -- Lord’s for the chance to score the runs
Cook didn't waste this opportunity in the 2nd innings and achieved the feat on the fourth afternoon when he tucked Nuwan Pradeep off the pads for a boundary to midwicket from the sixth ball he faced as England closed on a series-sealing victory.
10,000 Test runs for Alastair Cook #history pic.twitter.com/EDpuazRpYv
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 30, 2016
First Englishman, 12th player in history and youngest ever to reach 10,000 Test runs #yesChef pic.twitter.com/ALaKkqJuCg
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 30, 2016
The England captain is only the 12th man in cricket history to reach the milestone, as well as the youngest ever, beating cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to the feat by five months.
He has done it at 31 years and 157 days, while Tendulkar was 31 years and 326 days old when he achieved the feat. This was Cook's 128th Test and 229th innings at this level.
Cook, who made his Test debut at the age of 21, has scored the most Test centuries for England. The Essex batsman, who scored a hundred on debut against India at Nagpur in 2006, now has 28 tons, which means he is way ahead of former teammate Kevin Pietersen, and legends Wally Hammond and Geoffrey Boycott.
At 31, Cook still has several years in international cricket, but whether he manages to break Tendulkar's all-time aggregate Test record of 15,921 runs made in 200 matches remains to be seen.
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