Root has been in great form for Test cricket in recent times. Since the start of the World Test Championship, he has remained very consistent, amassing an incredible 5543 since, with 18 centuries to his name. He is fast reaching Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most Test runs and requires just 2949 more runs to go past the record. If he plays for some more good years, he really might break the record.
Root will be a key player for England in the five-Test series against India starting June 20. The four-day Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, starting May 22, is going to be good preparation for him.
Currently, Root has amassed 12,972 runs from 152 Tests. Another 28 runs in his next game and he will be the quickest to complete 13,000 runs in Test cricket in less than 155 matches. The record is held by Jacques Kallis, who did it in 159 matches.
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Going by innings, Sachin Tendulkar is the quickest to reach 13,000 with only 266 innings. Should Root do it in the first innings, it would actually make him the slowest to 13,000, taking 279 innings. Kallis, Ponting, and Dravid also reached the milestone in fewer innings than that.
While Joe Root is a good candidate to break Tendulkar’s overall runs record, looking at centuries will be a different battle altogether. Root has 36 Test centuries so far; he’d need 16 more to claim the lead.