"That record of the most Test runs by a player is getting closer and closer" - Ben Stokes hails 'England's greatest' Joe Root
England Test captain Ben Stokes hailed Joe Root as the side's greatest-ever batter and feels the all-time record for most Test runs is not far away. Root has been piling on the runs during England's ongoing home Test season against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
The 33-year-old is coming off centuries in both innings of England's series-clinching second Test win over Sri Lanka at Lords. Root is fast climbing up the charts for most Test runs and is currently seventh with 12,377 runs in 145 games.
Stokes, who is recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during the Hundred, said on Sky Sports:
"He is just awesome. He is England's greatest-ever batter and it is going to be hard to find another one like him for a very long time. Harry Brook maybe could do what he has done, but what Joe has achieved in the game is absolutely amazing and there is plenty more to come. That record of the most Test runs by a player is getting closer and closer."
He added:
"The thing about Joe is he is so unselfish, he puts the team first in whatever decision-making there is throughout a Test match or even throughout a series. He is an amazing player. I don't think there is much more I can say about him, I have pretty much done all the superlatives with Joe in the 10 or 12 years I have played with him."
Overall runs apart, Joe Root is also joint-sixth all-time in Test centuries with 34 and boasts a healthy red-ball average of almost 51.
"I think Popey has done a brilliant job" - Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes praised stand-in skipper Ollie Pope for doing a commendable job leading the side in the Test series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Pope has captained England in Stokes' absence to five wins in as many Tests, including two series wins.
"I think Popey has done a brilliant job. "We are 2-0 up, we have been put under pressure at different times in the series against Sri Lanka and I think the way that Popey has reacted to those situations and wrestled momentum back into the game is something he has done really well," said Stokes.
The talismanic all-rounder also praised pacer Gus Atkinson for the incredible start to his Test career.
"He has been amazing. I earmarked him as someone I thought could be successful at Test cricket on the India tour even though he didn't play a game. He bowls at a high pace, he is a very skilful bowler and he has shown he has got more than just running in and bowling it fast. He has shown the world and himself what he is capable of with bat in his hand. For your first summer in Test cricket, I can't remember there being a bigger impact," Stokes added.
Atkinson has been the find of England's home Test season, picking up 33 wickets in the five Tests at an average of 18.06 with three 5-wicket hauls.
In addition, the 26-year-old also scored a magnificent century in the recently concluded second Test against Sri Lanka at Lords.