"'Root is a genius' Run machine hailed after breaking England Test record

Alastair Cook described Joe Root as "a genius" and a "run-scoring machine" after the 33-year-old Yorkshireman surpassed his record as England's highest Test run-scorer on his way to an epic, unbeaten 176 on the third day of the first Test in Pakistan.

- Simon Burnton

Root was "tired more than anything" after an eight-hour innings in the Multan heat that, with Harry Brook also unbeaten on 141, helped England to reach 492 for three at stumps, 64 behind. By the close Root had scored 12,578 Test runs, having eased past Cook's mark of 12,472, and moved into fifth on the list of all-time Test scorers. He needs another 801 to overtake Ricky Ponting and rise to second, and 3,344 to overhaul Sachin Tendulkar at the top.

"He's this consistent run-scoring machine," Cook said of former captain. "There are other geniuses who can play genius innings, but Root is a genius with consistency."

Root said: "I'm proud but I still feel there's plenty more left to do and many more runs to get. I'm sure I'll look back on it at some point and feel very proud of it."

Root is in the form of his life: in his past 15 Test innings he has scored five centuries, four 50s and averages 90.41. "You're going to go through periods when you don't score so many but what Joe Root does, when he's in good form he catches it, and he constantly gets good scores," said Ben Duckett, who was in the middle when Root took Cook's record.