Edgbaston, Jul 27 (IANS): England's Joe Root became the second-youngest cricketer to cross the elusive milestone of 12,000 Test runs. He achieved the feat in the ongoing third and final Test against West Indies at Edgbaston on Saturday.

The right-handed batter, regarded as one of the best Test players of his generation, is only the seventh player in history to reach the milestone and only the second English player after Alastair Cook, who was the youngest player to reach the landmark. During the process, he also surpassed Brian Lara's (11,953) Test runs to become the seventh-highest run-getter in Test history.

Root breached the 12,000-run mark on Day 2 of the match during England's first innings. He along with skipper Ben Stokes rescued England after the team found themselves reeling at 54/5 in the first session of the play.

The 33-year-old made his Test Debut against India in 2012 and has since played 143 matches at an impressive average of 50.25 with 32 centuries and 63 half-centuries to his name.

He is also the highest-scoring active Test batter at the moment and would be aiming to become the highest-scoring English cricketer, succeeding former captain Cook, who ended his gloried career with 12,472 runs.

Earlier on the opening day of the match, Gus Atkinson bagged four wickets while Chris Woakes and Mark Wood snapped three and two scalps, respectively to bundle out West Indies for 282 in their first innings.

For the visiting side, captain Kraigg Brathwaite top-scored with 61 runs while all-rounder Jason Holder (59) and wicketkeeper-bater Joshua Da Silva (49) played crucial knocks to take the side to over the 250-run mark.