"He is an absolute champion": Atherton lauds Root on becoming England's leading run-getter in Tests

Multan [Pakistan], October 9 : Former cricketer Michael Atherton heaped praise on Joe Root for becoming England's leading run-getter in Tests and called the 33-year-old an "absolute champion".
Star England batter Joe Root on Wednesday achieved a remarkable feat as he went past Alastair Cook to become the leading run-getter for the Three Lions in Test cricket.
Root achieved the feat during the first Test match between England and Pakistan on day three in Multan. The England batter leapfrogged Cook's record when he reached the 71-run mark at the Multan Cricket Ground.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Atherton hailed Root for achieving the milestone by playing his "classic Root-like shot". The former cricketer added that it was a lovely moment.
"I was so thrilled that he got it with a classic Root-like shot. If you think in your mind's eye of the best of Root you are thinking back-foot punch, maybe a run down to third man but the way he plays those drives down the ground. It was a gorgeous shot to get there. What a lovely moment," Atherton was quoted from Sky Sports as saying.
He added that Root has been consistent over the years and has etched his name on the elite list in a pleasing manner.
"Twelve years of excellence. That is exactly what it has been. I was there in Nagpur, I thought 'this is going to be one of our greats' but you still have to do it. You have to turn potential into performance and it is hard to think of a time when his form has dropped off. He has been so consistent over the years and he has done it in a way which is so pleasing. He is an absolute champion. He is one of our best players if not the best player we have had," he added.
Root has now scored 12,473 runs in the long format for England. Meanwhile, Cook had 12,472 runs for the Three Lions in Test cricket.
In the 43rd over, Root achieved the record when he took just one single against Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed. Soon after the British cricketer achieved the record England's dressing room stood and started clapping to honour the 33-year-old's milestone.
At lunch of day three, England have posted 232/2 on the board, with Ben Duckett and Joe Root unbeaten with scores of 80 and 72, respectively. Till lunch, the visitors have added 136 runs in just 25 overs against Pakistan on the batting-friendly pitch in Multan.
In the first Test match in Multan, Pakistan scored 556 runs in their first inning. Abdullah Shafique (102), Shan Masood (151) and Agha Salman (104*) were the top run scorers for the hosts.
England Playing Eleven: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
Pakistan Playing Eleven: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (C), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Agha Salman, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.