Skipper Cook becomes first Englishman to cross 11,000 Test runs

Chennai, Dec 16 (IANS) Skipper Alastair Cook on Friday became the first Englishman to surpass the 11,000 Test run-mark during the first day of the fifth Test against India here.

Cook was also the first from his country to complete the 9,000 and 10,000 runs in Tests.

The English skipper won the toss and decided to bat on Friday and a leading edge through cover from the first ball of the match brought him two runs and took his Test tally to 11,000.

The 31-year-old is 10th on the list of all-time leading run-scorers in Tests, between two former Australia captains, Allan Border (11,174 runs) and Steve Waugh (10,927).

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 15,921 runs from 200 Tests. Australia's Ricky Ponting (13,378) and South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis (13,289) rounding out the podium.

Batting legend Rahul Dravid is fourth on the elite list with 13,288 runs in 164 matches, followed by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara at 12,400 in 134 games.

West Indies stalwart Brian Lara is sixth, totalling 11,953 runs in 131 Tests, ahead of compatriot Shivnarine Chanderpaul (11,867 runs in 164 matches) and Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene (11,814 in 149).

Cook is playing his 140th Test and boasts more matches, more runs, more centuries (30) than any other Englishman and has also been involved in the most wins (57) for his country.

He made his Test debut against India at Nagpur in March 2006. His highest score in the longest format of the game is 294 against India in August 2011 at Birmingham.

Former England captain Graham Gooch is the second most successful English batsman, scoring 8,900 runs in 118 Tests.

--IANS

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