England’s Joe Root recently made headlines by scoring his 38th Test century, not only surpassing cricket legends in total runs but also drawing strong predictions that he could break Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record.
Root’s Latest Milestone Century
During the third day of the Manchester Test against India, Joe Root delivered a magnificent performance, scoring his 38th Test century. This remarkable innings propelled him past an elite group of batsmen, including Ricky Ponting (13,378 runs), Jacques Kallis (13,289 runs), and Rahul Dravid (13,288 runs) on the list of leading run-scorers in Test cricket.
Root now holds the position of the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, accumulating a total of 13,409 runs in 157 Tests. He is currently 2,512 runs behind Sachin Tendulkar’s formidable record of 15,921 runs, which Tendulkar achieved over 200 Tests.
Ponting Backs Root to Break Tendulkar’s Record
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has expressed strong confidence in Joe Root’s ability to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record. Speaking to Sky Sports, Ponting lauded Root’s current form and career trajectory.
“Magnificent from Joe Root. This is a great moment in history. The way his career has gone, there is absolutely no reason why he will not go past Tendulkar,” Ponting stated. He highlighted Root’s elegance, style, and hunger for runs as key factors that could see him achieve this monumental feat.
More Centuries Against India and Other Records
This recent hundred was Root’s second century in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with his first coming earlier in the series at Lord’s. His 38th Test century also places him alongside Kumar Sangakarra in terms of the number of Test centuries scored.
Only Sachin Tendulkar (51), Ricky Ponting (45), and Jacques Kallis (41) are now ahead of him in this elite list. Furthermore, this was Root’s 12th Test century against India, breaking Steve Smith’s previous record of 11 Test hundreds against the Indian team.
Fellow Cricketers Share Optimism
Stuart Broad, Root’s former England teammate, also believes in his enduring hunger for runs. Broad noted that Root seemed incredibly relaxed and was thoroughly enjoying his cricket, with no signs of slowing down.
Earlier, former England captain Michael Atherton had also placed his faith in Root’s potential to break Tendulkar’s record. Atherton acknowledged the changing landscape of Test cricket, suggesting that fewer Test matches might be played in the future, making such records even harder to achieve.
- Joe Root is now the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, with 13,409 runs.
- He needs 2,512 more runs to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 runs.
- Root has matched Kumar Sangakarra’s 38 Test centuries, trailing only Tendulkar, Ponting, and Kallis.
- He holds the record for most Test centuries against India, with 12 hundreds.
- Cricket legends like Ricky Ponting, Stuart Broad, and Michael Atherton predict he could break Tendulkar’s all-time run-scoring record.
As Joe Root continues his prolific career, the cricket world will be watching to see if he can indeed reach the pinnacle of Test run-scoring.
