Joe Root, who is hailed as one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation, has been a force to reckon with in Test cricket for over a decade now. Having already amassed 12,000 runs in the longest format of the game, Joe Root is inching closer to surpassing the record of Sachin Tendulkar for most runs in Test cricket history.
Joe Root Played A Sensational Knock Against Sri Lanka
Joe Root equaled the England record of 33 Test centuries held by Alastair Cook when he reached three figures on the first day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Thursday. With one run to go for his century, Root skillfully played the ball between slip and gully for four runs, reaching his hundred with his 13th boundary off 162 balls.
Root was eventually dismissed for 143 runs, after registering his sixth Test century at Lord’s, when he smashed a mistimed reverse scoop off fast bowler Milan Rathnayake. The ball went straight to Pathum Nissanka at point, leaving England at 308-7.
During his knock, Joe Root equaled former England captain Alastair Cook’s record of 33 Test centuries. While Root took 145 games to reach the milestone, Cook reached the milestone in 161 games. With this achievement, Joe Root also moved to a joint-tenth position on the all-time list of Test century makers, which is led by Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, who smashed 51 centuries in 200 Tests from 1989 to 2013.
It has to be noted that Joe Root is the only active player on this list, with all the other players having retired from the longest format of the game.
How close is Joe Root to beating ‘Cricket God’ Sachin Tendulkar’s Test world record?
Under the leadership of Ben Stokes and the guidance of new head coach Brendon McCullum, who advocates for Bazball – a new aggressive, attacking approach in cricket, Joe Root has thrived in his career. From attempting to reverse ramps against pacers to scoring some quick runs, Root is taking more risks now and is aligning well with the Bazball approach.
Although, this approach has resulted in some dismissals as well, but most of his risks have largely paid off. Root is back to his form and has shown no signs of stopping.
To go past the record of the great Sachin Tendulkar, Joe Root needs to take a few key challenges. The most important challenge is to avoid injuries as the recovery process takes longer with age. England plays between 12 and 14 Test matches a year, giving Root ample opportunity will help him to score more runs. However, he must stay injury-free and maintain his drive.
Ricky Ponting, the former Australian captain with extensive experience in scoring runs and centuries, believes there’s no reason why Root can’t achieve the milestone. “If his hunger’s still there, then there’s every chance that he could do it,” Ponting said earlier this month. “He is someone that, in the last couple of years, has gotten better and better.”
