Recently, England batsman Joe Root became just the 11th player to surpass 11,000 runs in Test cricket. In the lone Test at Lord’s against Ireland, the former captain hit the milestone during his quick fifty.
Closely trailing former captain Sir Alastair Cook, who finished his international career with 12,472 runs, Root is currently England’s second-leading run scorer. Being one of the most talented batters the game has ever seen, Root is capable of even greater feats, holding the record for the most runs in the format being one of them.
With 15,921 runs scored over 200 Test matches over the course of a career spanning more than two decades, Sachin Tendulkar is the all-time leader in the game’s longest format. Although Root is currently 4917 runs behind the Indian legend, the goal is undoubtedly in his sights.
In the process, he has surpassed great batters like Steve Waugh and Sunil Gavaskar, and he is likely to surpass Allan Border and others in the future.
Let’s examine three reasons why Joe Root can surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most Test runs now
1. Root has the advantage of age
In plenty of time for him to play enough Tests to possibly break the record, Joe Root will turn 32 in December 2022. Since the World Test Championship (WTC) was established, the long-form format is in good hands.
In the upcoming years, it is inevitable that a well-known team like England will play routine Test matches. Up until the end of 2024, when Root turns 34, the team under Ben Stokes’ leadership will play nearly 18 Test matches.
From 2025 to 2027, England is scheduled to play 21 more Test matches. Even with workload management, rotation, and injuries taken into consideration, the batter has plenty of time to make a serious push toward and surpass the imperious record run total.
Root has already participated in 130 Tests, which is significantly more than the average player his age, and he will continue to do so because he is an important member of the England team.
2. No indications of a slowdown
Between 2019 and 2021, Root had a weak period by his standards, but since then, he has arguably developed into the best batter in the format. He amassed centuries while the other members of the “Fab Four” struggled to score runs.
Given his consistency, it is likely that the former England captain’s Test average of 50 points per game will stay about the same. He should be able to score the final 4917 runs in about 98 innings, which equates to about 49 Tests, should he continue his strong play and continue to score at the same rate in the future.
While it is unrealistic to believe that the Englishman will continue to play for 49 more games after turning 40, much like Tendulkar, it is doable given that England is scheduled to play 39 Test matches over the course of the next four years.
Additionally, he has settled into the attacking cricket ethos well under Ben Stokes’ leadership and found his groove.
3. His main interest and priority are Test matches
Today’s franchise cricket players, including Joe Root’s countrymen, are juggling multiple formats. While Root has been experimenting with the idea of franchise cricket, he is primarily a fringe player and has mostly used it as a way to maintain rhythm.
Although England still intends to use him in ODIs, his performances and playing style make it clear that Test cricket is his preferred format. After his ODI career is over, he is likely to play red-ball cricket for a considerable amount of time.
His disregard for other formats may help him live longer and protect him from injuries, putting him in the ideal position to make Test match history.
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