Alastair Cook Can Break Sachin Tendulkar's Record of Test Runs: Sunil Gavaskar

Sachin Tendulkar's record of 15,921 Test runs is not safe and Alastair Cook could break it, feels former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar.

Cook became the 12th entrant and the first English batsman to score 10,000 runs during England's second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham. Cook also became the youngest batsman to score 10,000 runs at 31 years and 158 days, breaking Tendulkar's mark of 31 years and 326 days.

Currently, Cook is 5879 runs away from Tendulkar's record and Gavaskar believes that Cook can break the record.

"Cook can break Tendulkar's record of Test runs. He has age on his side and England play more Tests," Gavaskar told NDTV on Tuesday.

Following the Durham Test, England play one more against Sri Lanka before rounding off their home summer with four Tests against Pakistan.

Cook's team then embarks on tours to Bangladesh and India where they will play two and five Tests, respectively. Hence, Cook will play a total of 12 Tests in the coming six months.

The coming years will see England play more Tests.

The 2017/18 season will see six home Tests against South Africa and West Indies, followed by the all-important Ashes in Australia. With England playing an average of over 10 Tests an year, Cook could break Tendulkar's record provided he is consistent and physically fit.

In 2015, he scored 1364 runs, which is the most he has ever scored in a calendar year, at an average of 54.5. If the England skipper, who plays only Test matches currently, continues his good form over the next couple of seasons, he could break Tendulkar's record.

"Given the number of Tests England play every year and if Cook can hold on to his form in the next seven years, he can surpass Tendulkar," said Gavaskar, the founding member of the 10,000 Test runs club.