Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes that Joe Root has a genuine chance of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record for most runs in Test cricket within the next four years. Root climbed past legends like Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting to move into second place on the all-time run-scorers list.
Root’s unbeaten 150 off 248 balls has taken his career tally to 13,409 runs at an impressive average of 51.17. Tendulkar still leads the chart with 15,921 runs from 200 Tests. Speaking to Sky Sports after the end of Day 3, Shastri shared his thoughts on Root’s chances of overtaking the Indian icon.
“The more England win, the more it will keep Root in that frame of mind to play. He needs another 3.5 to 4 years. If he is there that length of time, that record, which no one thought was achievable, is gettable. If he does get it, no one will pass that.”
He further added:
“It’s very much on the cards. The good thing is he has got a good captain in Stokes, who likes to win. He likes to take the game forward and encourages players to get on the front foot and go hard.”
“You Can Sleep Peacefully, Root Will Bat Big” – Ravi Shastri Praises England Star
Ravi Shastri felt that Joe Root’s century on Day 3 of the Manchester Test seemed inevitable after the England batter settled in following the initial few minutes at the crease. With this hundred, Root also equaled former Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 38 Test centuries, placing him joint fourth on the all-time list.
“There are certain players, when you see them over the years, from a dressing room point of view, if the sun is out, Root is batting and there is history in the making, you tell yourselves – If he sees that first 20 minutes through, you can go and sleep because he is going to bat and bat big. It would have been in his mind, all those records and milestones that he is going to go past,” said Shastri (via the aforementioned source).
He further concluded:
“But he would have just gone about the job in the manner he does. It’s the rhythm and fluency he maintains that keeps the tempo going; he is never bogged down. He is always looking to score, and that’s because of his footwork. He is always moving at the crease, which is fabulous.”
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