Joe Root entered the history books by becoming England’s highest run-scorer in Test cricket on the third day of the opening Test against Pakistan. Root surpassed Alastair Cook’s previous record of 12,472 runs with a classy straight-driven boundary, pushing his total to 72 before Lunch and taking England to a brisk 232-2 in just 45 overs.
With this landmark, Root now stands fifth on the all-time list of Test run-scorers, trailing legends like Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Rahul Dravid, and still eyeing the top spot held by Sachin Tendulkar at 15,921 runs.
Tendulkar’s record, once considered untouchable, is now a possibility for Root. The Indian great’s towering tally had long been viewed as an unscalable peak in cricket, but Root’s remarkable consistency, ability to churn out runs across all conditions, and relentless hunger have made this feat more achievable than ever before.
At just 33 years old, Root has time on his side and shows no signs of slowing down. And according to former England captain Michael Vaughan, Root can play well into his forties like the side’s legendary former pacer, James Anderson.
‘Can break Tendulkar’s record’
In a column for the Telegraph shortly after Root surpassed Cook, Vaughan claimed Root can break Tendulkar’s record if the batter maintains form and longevity.
“Joe’s love of the game means he will not be like Alastair Cook, who he overtakes into top spot. Cook retired six years ago, at almost exactly the same age – 33 – that Joe is now. But I see Joe going into his forties, like Anderson has. There is still plenty for him to tick off, including that missing hundred in Australia. But I watch him bat in Australia and do not see a major technical problem, he just has not cracked three figures yet,” Vaughan wrote.
“Root is already cricketing royalty and there is no doubt in my eyes that he has become England’s greatest batsman already. No one has played the different forms of the game better than him, and he has got the runs to show for it. If he plays as long as I am sure he will, he will overtake Sachin Tendulkar and be the leading Test run-scorer. More than just being a great player, he does it all with a smile on his face, and is simply the greatest example for young kids to follow,” stated Vaughan further.
