Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting congratulated England’s Joe Root after the star batter broke his long-standing Test record on Day 3 of the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Friday, July 25. Root surpassed Ponting’s tally of 13,378 Test runs, becoming the second-highest run-scorer in the format’s history.
Impressively, Root achieved the milestone in just 286 innings, one fewer than Ponting. He now trails only Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 15,921 runs in 200 Test matches. Root reached the landmark with a single off Anshul Kamboj in the penultimate over before the tea break.
Reacting to the moment, Ponting praised Root’s red-ball brilliance during the live broadcast on Sky Sports.
“Congratulations, Joe Root! Magnificent, second on the table. 120 not out. This crowd at the ground, this very watchful crowd at Old Trafford, all stand as one. Magnificent moment in history.”
You can watch the video here:
The moment.
And he's not done yet… pic.twitter.com/retSKGgBsV
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 25, 2025
While scoring his 38th Test century, Joe Root also went past former India captain Rahul Dravid (13,288) and legendary South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis (13,289) on the list of all-time leading run-scorers in Test cricket.
Top Test Run-Scorers:
- 15921 – Sachin Tendulkar
- 13379* – Joe Root
- 13378 – Ricky Ponting
- 13289 – Jacques Kallis
- 13288 – Rahul Dravid
“Joe Root Might Need 30 Tests To Break Tendulkar’s Record”: Ex-England Captain
Former England skipper Michael Atherton has voiced his support for Joe Root to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most Test runs. He stated that the 34-year-old might need around 30 more matches to reach the landmark. Speaking to Sky Sports (as reported by the Indian Express), the former cricketer-turned-commentator said:
“Root averages about 85 runs a Test match, so he’d likely need 30 Test matches to get up to Sachin (Tendulkar to claim the Test record).”
“You never know what lies ahead in terms of freak injuries, sport can be a cruel mistress, but given a fair wind, he should be up to Tendulkar in around two and a half years,” he added.
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