For the last four months, speculations have grown, if the current superstar of the longest format, Joe Root, could break the Test landmark of 15921 runs, set by the former Indian batter and the master of the game, Sachin Tendulkar. It’s Mount Everest, which the former England captain is after, but he has the skills and a bit of age on his side to achieve this.
Recently, Joe Root again showed his temperament and class during the opening game of the three-match Test series against Pakistan at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The conditions of the game weren’t easy, both up in the sky and down on the track.
The Yorkshire batter fielded for nearly two days in the heat of the city before coming into the middle after around 15-20 minutes with the blade at the number three position in the batting department. Ollie Pope was caught at short extra cover by Aamer Jamal as the pressure of over 500 runs was getting over the visiting side.
Joe Root opens up on the changes to his batting technique
For the whole third day, he kept on batting with class and pure timing around the globe. The right-handed batter ended with 262 runs with the help of 17 boundaries at a strike rate of around 70. He had a stand of 454 runs for the fourth wicket with Harry Brook, who ended with a 317-run knock, as the visiting side finished on 823/7 in their only innings, and that in just 150 overs.
Joe Root now stands at the fifth position for the most runs in the red-ball format of the game with 12664 in 147 Test matches at an average of over 51 and a strike rate of just below 60, with the help of 35 centuries and 64 half-centuries with a best score of 262.
The list has been owned by Sachin Tendulkar at the top, who has notched up 15921 runs in 200 games at an average of around 54, shouldering on 51 centuries and 68 half-centuries with a best score of unbeaten 248 runs.
But the question stands if he could break that barrier shortly.
“I‘ve no idea. It’s some way off yet.” Joe Root said in a recent interview on Sky Sports that he has bagged 4841 runs since the start of 2021, as the next best in the list is the former captain and left-handed opening batter of the Sri Lankan side, Dimuth Karunaratne, who has clubbed 2586 runs.
“In Covid, I spent that period off really looking at my game, the areas where I felt there were little holes and weaknesses in it, and just really trying to have a really good understanding of my strengths and weaknesses.” The 33-year-old expressed on the day of the game in a short chat with Sky Sports Cricket.
The veteran highlighted how he has worked on the areas where he used to struggle in the past. The biggest issue of his batting was how he used to get on a consistent rate every time after getting to a half-century.
“And then work with the strengths and try to tighten up the areas within my game that needed to just probably raise the level. Not all of that is technical, some of it was mental and maybe looking at the game slightly differently.”
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He also revealed that his former captain, Alastair Cook, also called him to congratulate him after the former became the leading run-getter for the Three Lions in the five-day format.
“It was nice. He gave me a call, and I had a good chat with him. As you’d imagine, with Cookie, he was very gracious and complimentary. It’s pretty cool. We’ll see if we can keep going.” Joe Root concluded.