Already an England great, Joe Root is still hungry for more – and Sachin Tendulkar’s record may not be safe
Matt Roller25-Jul-20254:14
Manjrekar: ‘Serious chance’ for Root to break Tendulkar’s record
“Just the one more to go now,” Ricky Ponting declared, as Joe Root jogged a single to overtake him as Test cricket’s second-highest run-scorer. Root has never paid much attention to personal milestones but after this innings, only Sachin Tendulkar is ahead of his 13,409 Test runs; Tendulkar is still a long way off, but nobody has ever come closer.This was a rare day, as Manchester basked in the greatness of a Yorkshireman. The 6000 fans in Old Trafford’s Party Stand rose to their feet when Root glided Anshul Kamboj to deep point to reach 120 and surpass Ponting, then serenaded him by singing his name to the tune of “Hey Jude”. Root grinned sheepishly, then waved his hand as though knocking their applause back.Root was met by another standing ovation when he was finally dismissed for 150, which he turned to acknowledge as he walked off. But first, with his left hand, he briefly imagined a shot that he could have played instead, shaping to work the ball into the leg side. It was a moment that epitomised the hunger and attitude that will keep him going for some time yet.Related
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Ponting’s arrival in the Sky Sports commentary box was perfectly timed: he witnessed what he described as “a magnificent moment in history” on only his third day of work in the series. He will not lose sleep over slipping down to third: when the golf brand Callaway sent him a putter inscribed with 13,378 at the end of his career, he was oblivious that it was his final run tally.It is a trait that Root shares: he has long insisted that he is motivated only by team success and has constantly played down his individual achievements. “I’ve never really been one to have goals because I just feel like if you miss them, then you’ve failed – and this game is full of failure anyway,” he explained in Multan last year, when he became England’s leading Test run-scorer.Alastair Cook, the man he overtook, obsessed over becoming the first Englishman to reach 10,000 runs but struggled to find another motivation thereafter and called time on his Test career two years later. At 34, Root is already a year older than Cook was then, but has expressed his ambitions to play in the 2027 World Cup – and may not stop there.His success has relied upon a hunger to keep improving: in his 40 Tests since stepping down as captain, Root has averaged 57.70, with 13 hundreds. “It’s just about wanting to keep the enjoyment element of it, to keep finding ways of improving and getting better, to make sure you don’t stand still and get stuck in playing one way,” he has said.Joe Root walks off after scoring 150•Getty ImagesWhere some batters – Cook and Ponting among them – struggle when they relinquish the captaincy, Root has attained new heights since he returned to the ranks. He scored heavily in his final years in the role, often shouldering the burden of run-scoring almost single-handedly in a poor side, but has been even better under Ben Stokes’ leadership.His innings in Manchester underlined why. It has often seemed as though Root has spent his entire Test career walking in with England 30 for 2, but their top three – if still imperfect – are far more dependable than they once were. This time, he came out at 197 for 2 and picked off runs against an underwhelming Indian attack, and ticked off landmarks like items on a shopping list.Even if Tendulkar’s record is unlikely to be a major source of motivation for him, Root still has a genuine chance to break it: he is 2,512 runs behind but, for context, has scored 2,556 in his last 50 innings dating back to February 2023. Since England play an average of 12-14 Tests per year, Root could feasibly overtake him by the end of 2027.”I wouldn’t be surprised if he can chase him down,” Ollie Pope said after the third day. “He loves playing for England in Test cricket more than anything… I think he just wants to keep playing as long as he can. The excitement he still has to play Test cricket [is huge]. Whenever we rock up at the start of a series, he’s always got the biggest smile on his face.”The most remarkable, yet least remarked upon, aspect of Root’s sustained brilliance is his fitness. England have played 159 Tests since Root’s debut at Nagpur in 2012 and he has only missed two, once when dropped, the other on paternity leave; despite his occasional back issues, he has never missed a match through injury across a 13-year Test career.Root avoided media duties on Friday evening citing cramp but in truth, his batting has already said more than enough. He has already secured his status as one of England’s all-time greats, and that position will become undisputed if he scores his first hundred in Australia this winter. If he can achieve that, then it would be brave to bet against him catching Tendulkar.
