Joe Root on course for England record but who are the top run-scorers in Test cricket?

"He is a pleasure to watch, the most complete England batsman I have seen," Cook told BBC Sport.

"He is so hard to tie down. I had to grind my way to 30, it always took me what felt like two hours. Because Joe has got so many low-risk scoring options, pretty much through 360 degrees, he will often get to 30 off 40 balls."

If Root continues in the form he displayed at the opening Test against New Zealand last week then he will certainly have a chance of not only overtaking Cook but challenging the great Sachin Tendulkar for most runs in history.

With that being said, we take a look at the top 10 players with the most runs in Test cricket.

The Indian legend made his debut at the age of 16 in 1989 and continued until 2013. During his career, he scored 51 centuries and 58 half-centuries.

The Aussie is in second spot. Ponting was an international Test player for 17 years from 1995 to 2012 and is the highest run-scorer across all three formats (ODI and T20) in Australia's history.

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