Cook can challenge Tendulkar's Test run record: Gavaskar

Cook can challenge Tendulkar's Test run record: Gavaskar

PTI | May 31, 2016, 07.49 PM IST


NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that the youngest entrant in the illustrious 10,000 Test run club, Alastair Cook can challenge batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's all-time Test run record.
Cook on Monday became the first England cricketer to cross the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket, and the youngest overall, beating Tendulkar's record by five months by reaching the milestone at the age of 31 years and five months.

Tendulkar -- Test cricket's most prolific batsman with 15921 runs -- was 31 years, 10 months 20 days old when he scored his 10,000th run in 2005.
"Well the big advantage that England always has is that they are always playing a minimum of 11-12 Test matches on an average in a year. In 11-12 Test matches even if you score 50 runs per Test match you are getting about 500 runs every year," Gavaskar said.

"So over the next 6-7 years there might be a period when he (Cook) might have a terrific year where he might score a 1000 runs so that will certainly give him a chance. He has got age on his side, he is also one of the very fit players. He is less than 32 years and if he plays for 6-8 more years he has got a very good chance," the legendary batsman told NDTV.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/top-stories/Cook-can-challenge-Tendulkars-Test-run-record-Gavaskar/articleshow/52523696.cms

First of all well done Cook...I am not a big fan of him , especially as a captain......but am forced to admire him.....his mental toughness

He gets there younger than tendulkar...in spite starting his career aged about 5 years older...

Can he cross Tendulkar's record of highest number of runs ?

well it' s a more milestone....but one of the most prestigious ones in test cricket....

for this to happen Cook's gotta play his share of cricket in the batsman friendly sub-continent pitches.....
and Eng's gotta stop beating the opponents by innings margin

Think I read somewhere that if Cook continues scoring runs at the exact rate he is at the moment (per Test match), he will break Tendulkar's record in his 201st test, also breaking Sachin's appearance record in the same match

That would be quite funny

No chance he'll play over 200 matches, he's only on 128 matches. Think he'll topple Brian Lara & then Sangakkara & settle for fifth in the rankings, which is 12,400 runs. Doubt he'll continue at the same rate he has previously & his form has hardly been breathtaking recently.  Dravid is on 13,288 in fourth, which I think will be out of his reach. Don't see him getting anywhere near Sachin.

Eng plays about 10 tests / year...and Cook can play...and should play 8 more year...he would be only 39 and given that he plays only test matches....that's quite reasonable.....
so that would be 80 more tests....

the challenges would be

1) to sustain the same scoring rate per test for 8 more year.....less likely

what is likely....though to have a purple patch for next 4 years, averaging like 60+ per innings and 100+ per test....and then drag on at a moderate rate for the last 4 years ( like tendulakr)

2) test cricket doesn't last 8 more years

It won't be unheard of for Cook to have another huge purple patch where he can rack up a huge amount of runs quickly. Heard a stat the other day that Cook is 31 and a half now, Graham Gooch made 16 Test centuries after that age!

Cook doesn't strike me as having a technique that relies massively on his eye, which will start to go. He should be able to cope as he gets on but, as KPF alludes too, his biggest problem will be he scores more runs away from England! And a lot will depend on when he gives up the captaincy too, whether that has aged him more than his years and whether he will want to carry on with someone else as skipper or make a clean break.

between aged 29 to 34 are the peak years of a batsman

I can't see it happening really. I will go for somewhere in the region of 13,000.

I think he will retire by 35, being captain he will probably step down at some point in the next couple of years (possibly after a bad series vs SA as with the last 3 England captains!) and it seems rare these days for former captains to return to the ranks.

Other reasons I think he won't:

England players tend to retire fairly early either way - probably because they make a lot of money so don't need to play on and also because of the demanding schedule. Even Test only player goes on a lot of long Winter Tours

Uncertainty over the Test format in the longer term, which would be within the time-frame of the 8 or so years needed to make the record

He won't be allowed to hang on in the team edging towards the record on a 2 or 3 year retirement parade as he is not a legend in England, so can be dropped by the selectors if not captain - and I find it hard to believe there won't be better options in a few years time than a 37 year old opener

Its highly unlikely he will play past the next ashes.