Alastair Cook praises Joe Root as 'genius' after record achievement

Alastair Cook has celebrated Joe Root’s latest milestone, calling him "a genius" after Root surpassed Cook’s record for the most Test centuries by an England player. Root scored 103 runs in the second innings of the Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's on Saturday, bringing his total to 34 centuries and setting a new benchmark for England.

Cook, who was England’s captain during Root's early Test career, praised his former teammate's exceptional talent.

“He is quite simply England's greatest, and it's absolutely right that he should have this record, on his own. Take it in, Joe. We are watching a genius," Cook said 

Cook described Root’s batting as a pleasure to watch.

"I don't think there's a batsman that I can remember watching play [who shares] the sense of inevitability about scoring runs that Joe Root gives off. I called it when he was on about 6 today, that he was going to get 100. I know he's in great form, but it's just a pleasure to watch a master, a craftsman at work," he further added.

Root's two centuries in this match have taken his career run total to 12,377 runs. With just 96 more runs needed in the upcoming Test at The Oval, Root is set to become the fifth-highest run-scorer in Test history, surpassing both Kumar Sangakkara and Cook. 

“He’s just got the final one to tick off next week. In this kind of form, there’s no reason why he can’t," Cook added. 

In his second innings, Root expertly handled Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, scoring 60 runs off 59 balls. Cook highlighted Root's skill and praised his shots.

“The spinner was bowling today, and quite honestly, he could have hit him wherever he wanted with absolutely no risk. That is the art of batting: low-risk shots which score you runs," he concluded.