Alastair Cook scored 81 in the first innings against Pakistan at Lord’s on Friday. He, thus, became the highest run-getter as a Test opener with 9630 runs at an average of 46.52 in 123 Tests, going past Sunil Gavaskar’s tally of 9607 runs at an average of 50.29 in 119 Tests. Cook joined Mike Atherton as the only two England skippers to boast of 30 scores of fifty and more. Cook has 10 tons and 20 fifties as England skipper, while Atherton has 8 tons and 22 fifties as the captain.
During his innings of 81, Cook became the highest run-getter against Pakistan in Test. Cook has 1260 runs at an average of 48.46 and surpassed DI Gower’s tally of 1185 against Pakistan in 27 Test innings. Yasir Shah took 5/62 on the second day’s play at Lord’s. Before Yasir Shah, Indian leg-spinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar took 5/127 against England at Lord’s in 1967.This was his fourth four-wicket haul against England in 5 innings.