Joe Root inched closer to the top of the pile in Test cricket with another milestone. The England superstar leapfrogged Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid in the IND vs ENG 4th Test to become the 3rd highest run getter in Test cricket. He eventually smashed another ton, going past Ricky Ponting to go second behind only Sachin Tendulkar
Most runs in Test cricket: Joe Root moves to No. 2
Joe Root needed 30 more runs in Manchester to climb up to 3rd spot in the list. The 34-year-old with 13259 runs in 156 Tests, while Rahul Dravid (13288) is 4th, with Jacques Kallis one ahead with 13,289. Root was unbeaten on 11 at the end of Day 2 and made the milestone a formality in the early stages of Day 3. He continued his blistering with another ton, adding to his stellar record in Manchester. The 34-year-old leapfrogged Ricky Ponting in the process. The former Australian captain scored 13378 in 168 Tests. His 38th Test ton saw him jump to 2nd, only behind Sachin Tendulkar.
Most runs in Test cricket
| Player | Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 200 | 329 | 15921 | 248* | 53.78 | 51 | 68 |
| Joe Root (ENG) | 157 | 286 | 13379 | 262 | 51.25 | 38 | 66 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 168 | 287 | 13378 | 257 | 51.85 | 41 | 62 |
| Jacques Kallis (ICC/SA) | 166 | 280 | 13289 | 224 | 55.37 | 45 | 58 |
| Rahul Dravid (ICC/IND) | 164 | 286 | 13288 | 270 | 52.31 | 36 | 63 |
Can Joe Root nail down Sachin Tendulkar’s record?
Joe Root had a slow start to the India vs England series, but picked up with a century in the first innings at Lord’s in the 3rd Test. He is still 2662 runs away from the ‘God of Cricket’, with Sachin having amassed a mind boggling 15921 runs in 200 Tests. At 34, Root has time on his side to make a chase at that record.
The former England captain has scored more than 1000 runs in 3 of his last 5 calendar years, averaging in excess of 45 in each of his last 5 years. Since quitting captaincy, Root has averaged in excess of 50, finding another gear to his batting. Should the England star continue to play cricket for the next few years, he could well surpass Sachin’s run tally.
