Skipper Alastrair Cook became the highest ever run scorer of England in the longest format of the international game when he broke the record of former great Graham Gooch on the Day 2 of the second Test against New Zealand in Headingley on Saturday.
After the end of the day's play, Cook told the media that he does not play for records and nor does he deserve to be on the top of the list of highest run scorers for England, but he was happy that he could do it.
"It is a very special day for me personally. I can't really describe it, to be on top of the list. I don't deserve to be there with the way I play. You don't play for the records, but I know I needed 32 runs but to break the record, you want to do it with an innings (that matters). It was an amazing moment, very humbling," Cook said in an interview to Sky Sports.
Gooch had scored 8,900 runs in 118 Test matches, while Cook went past the milestone in 114 Tests. The 30-year-old left-handed batsman came out to open the innings along with Adam Lyth on Day 2 after the Black Caps were all out for 350 runs. At the start of the England innings on Day 2, Cook required 32 runs to achieve this feat in his career. And, he did it with grace and ease during his knock of 75 runs.
Before this, Cook did not score a century for almost two years and on top of that he had to deal with a whitewash (5-0) in the Ashes series in Australia last year. His form slump was adding on to the pressure. England had a good series against India, where Cook found some form at last.
"The last 18 months have been tough personally as a captain. A lot of stuff has gone on the last four or five months, but I have given time to my game and I feel like it is going well," Cook added.
Cook went on to score 75 runs on Day 2 against the Kiwis. Lyth and Cook added 177 in the first wicket partnership and made it difficult for the New Zealand bowlers in the first two sessions until they lost their momentum and lost quick wickets to give the Kiwis an edge over them at the end of Day 2.
