England Test captain Alastair Cook returned to Bangladesh yesterday after the birth of his second daughter. Now it’s full steam ahead as Cook attempts to rewrite the Test cricket record books.
The 31-year-old is already England’s top Test run-getter and with Andrew Strauss England’s most successful opening pair, tonight he’ll become England’s most capped cricketer.
He is just one match short of being England’s most capped captain, and if he continues his rich scoring vein, he’ll give Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most Test runs a real shake.
Magnificent.
England’s top Test run-getters
Alastair Cook – 10599.
Graham Gooch – 8900.
David Gower – 8231.
Kevin Pietersen – 8181.
Geoff Boycott – 8114.
Alex Stewart – 8029.
Mike Atherton – 7728.
Colin Cowdrey – 7624
Ian Bell – 7227.
The most successful Test opening pairs
Gordon Greenidge-Desmond Haynes (WI) – 6482 runs at 47.31.
Matt Hayden-Justin Langer (Aust) – 5655 at 51.88.
Cook-Strauss (England) – 4711 at 40.96.
England’s most capped cricketers
Cook – 133.
Stewart – 133.
Jimmy Anderson – 119.
Bell – 118.
Gooch – 118.
Gower – 117
Atherton – 115.
Cowdrey – 114.
Boycott – 108.
Pietersen – 104.
Ian Botham – 102.
Strauss – 100.
Graeme Thorpe – 100.
England’s most capped captains
Atherton – 54.
Cook – 52.
Michael Vaughan – 51.
Strauss – 50.
Now the big one.
Sachin Tendulkar was 40 years old when he retired as the world’s most successful Test batsman with 15921 runs at 54.17 from 200 Tests.
Cook is 31 and currently on 10599 runs at 47.31 from 133 Tests,
So far Cook has been averaging 75.43 a Test.
To catch Tendulkar, Cook has, in round figures, 67 more Tests and 5322 more runs, which averages out at 79.69 a Test.
On those figures, Alastair Cook has a better than even chance to catch the champion Indian batsman when it was originally thought such a record was beyond mere mortals.
Cook’s feats across the stats board are even more remarkable when England’s played more Tests (962), and had more cricketers (691), than any other country.
Australia’s second in Tests (790),and representatives (444), but are leaders in most categories where Cook shines.
Set head-to-head:
Most Test runs:
Cook – 10599 at 47.31
Ricky Ponting – 13378 at 51.85
Gooch – 8900 at 42.58
Allan Border – 11174 at 50.50
Stewart – 8463 at 39.54
Steve Waugh – 10927 51.06
Gower – 8231 at 44.25
Michael Clarke – 8643 at 49.10
Must successful Test opening batting combinations:
Cook-Strauss 4711 at 40.97 – Matt Hayden-Justin Langer 5655 at 51.41.
Most Test catches:
Cook 132 – Ponting 196.
Strauss 121 – Mark Waugh 181.
Botham – Mark Taylor 157.
Cowdrey 120 – Border 156.
Most Test caps:
Cook 133 – Ponting 168
Stewart 133 – Steve Waugh 168
Anderson – 119 – Border 156.
Bell 118 – Shane Warne 145.
Most capped captains:
Atherton 54 – Border 93.
Cook 52 – Ponting 77.
Vaughan 51 – Steve Waugh 57.
Strauss 50 – Taylor 50.
Before Alastair Cook retires he will be on top of England’s best Test performer in all five categories nominated, the direct result of his talent and dedication.
On a head-to-head comparison, Ricky Ponting tops four of the categories, beaten only by Allan Border as Australia’s most capped captain.
But all eyes will be on Cook to see if he can break Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time Test runs record.
The record is in Cook’s cross hairs, and gettable provided he’s injury and illness free.
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