Former England captain Joe Root has been a force to reckon with in Test cricket. Ever since he quit captaincy, the 34-year-old has been highly impactful in Test cricket and is now on the course to break Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid’s illustrious Test record. Notably, Root only needs 31 runs to become the third-leading run scorer in Test cricket history.
Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 15921 runs, followed by Ricky Ponting with 13378 runs. Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid are currently third and fourth on the list with 13289 and 13288 runs, respectively. Root, who has 13259 runs to his name in Test cricket, can easily surpass Kallis and Dravid in the upcoming Test against India at Old Trafford in Manchester.
He can very well cross Ponting in the fourth Test and become the second-leading run-scorer in Test history. The Sheffield-born needs only 119 runs, which is easily gettable for someone of Root’s stature. However, he needs time to catch Tendulkar to become the leading run-scorer. It isn’t out of his reach but the Sheffield-born needs to be consistent for the next couple of years to break the legendary record.
In the meantime, Root had a slow start to the five-match series against the Shubman Gill-led side, but when the going got tough, he stood up and scored a century in the third Test at Lord’s. Courtesy of his incredible century, England secured a 22-run victory and has a 2-1 lead in the series.
Root on course to break Sachin’s half-century record
Sachin had hit 68 half-centuries in Test cricket, while Root already has 66. It is very likely for Root to break the record and if his form permits, it can be done in the ongoing series against India itself. However, the visitors will be cautious as Root usually gets going once he manages a good start in the middle. With India trailing at the moment, they need to keep him quiet.