New Delhi: England’s Test team captain Alastair Cook today missed the chance of breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s 11-year-old record of being the youngest cricketer to reach the 10,000 runs milestone and also of becoming the first English cricketer to make 10,000 runs in Test cricket.
Cook needed 20 runs to reach 10,000 runs in Test cricket at the age of 31 years, five months and two days. Tendulkar breached the 10,000-run mark against Pakistan in Kolkata in March 2005 when he was 31 years and 10 months old.
However, he was dismissed by Suranga Lakmal at just 15 runs on the first day of the second test against Sri Lanka, thereby falling short of five runs to reach the coveted landmark.
Though, Cook has missed the chance of breaking Tendulkar’s record, he might get another chance if England have a second innings. Otherwise, Cook will certainly reach the 10,000-run landmark in the third Test match against Sri Lanka at Lord’s which starts at June 9.
Alastair Cook, now 31 years and 154 days old, has amassed 9,995 runs in 128 matches that include 28 centuries and 47 half-centuries.
In terms of innings taken to reach the 10,000-run landmark, Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara and Brian Lara have taken only 195 innings each, whereas Alastair Cook has already played in 228 innings till date.
Cook made his test debut against India in 2006 and smashed a century in the very first match. With his ability to score runs in big matches, he guided his team to their first Ashes win in Australia in 2011. The stylish left-handed batsman scored 766 runs in seven innings in that series.
