Cook surpasses Sunny Gavasker in getting most runs as a Test Opener

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England's Alastair Cook leaves the field for the lunch break during the fourth day of the third Ashes cricket Test match between England and Australia at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England on August 4, 2013. England avoided the follow-on on the fourth day of the third Test against Australia at Old Trafford. England, 2-0 up in the five-match series and only needing a draw in this clash to retain the Ashes, resumed on 294 for seven in reply to Australia's first innings 527 for seven declared, a huge deficit of 233 runs. AFP PHOTO/ANDREW YATES - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. NO ASSOCIATION WITH DIRECT COMPETITOR OF SPONSOR, PARTNER, OR SUPPLIER OF THE ECB (Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images)

England captain Alastair Cook broke Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 9,607 for the most runs as a Test opener while making 81 against Pakistan at Lord’s on Friday.

The 31-year-old England captain had already become the youngest player in the history of cricket to score 10,000 test runs prior to breaking Sunny’s record, but 13 of his innings were not as an opener.

But he broke Gavaskar’s opening record when he cut Mohammad Amir for four in familiar fashion to go to 61.

Below is the record of Test cricket’s leading opening batsmen:

Player/Team Career span Matches Not outs Runs Average Hundreds
Alastair Cook (Eng) 2006- 123 12 9630 46.52 26
Sunil Gavaskar (Ind) 1971-1987 119 12 9607 50.29 33
Graeme Smith (ICC/RSA) 2002-2014 114 12 9030 49.07 27
Mathew Hayden (Aus) 1994-2009 103 14 8625 50.73 30
Virender Sehwag (ICC/Ind) 2002-2013 99 6 8207 50.04 22
Geoffrey Boycott (Eng) 1964-1982 107 23 8091 48.16 22
Graham Gooch (Eng) 1978-1995 100 6 7811 43.88 18
Mark Taylor (Aus) 1989-1999 104 13 7525 43.49 19
Gordon Greenidge (WI) 1974-1991 107 16 7488 45.10 19
Mike Atherton (Eng) 1990-2001 108 6 7476 39.14 16

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