There is no other current batter in Test cricket than the former England captain across formats, Joe Root, to have scored more runs in the longest format. The right-handed batter is the country’s highest run-scorer and is at the fifth position in the all-time list with 12754 runs in 149 games at an average of over 51, shouldering on 35 centuries and 52 half-centuries.
Is that enough to be called one of the greatest of the generation? Probably, yes! When it comes to the ongoing year, Joe Root is the leading run-getter of the five-day format with 1338 runs in 25 innings at an average of over 58 with the help of five centuries and four half-centuries at the best score of 262.
In the last couple of years, since leaving out the captaincy pressure, the free mindset of the batter has carried them to new highs. The veteran now stands at the top among the coined ‘Fab Four’ with a huge distance between the other three, Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, and Steven Smith. Among these four, Williamson comes after Root regarding Test runs this year, but the Kiwi batter has a difference of over 700 runs in 13 fewer innings.
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In the last couple of years, Joe Root has been the only batter with more than 2000 Test runs, averaging over 56, and has the third-best average among the batters with at least 1500 runs in the period. He also celebrated 17 fifty-plus scores, the most among all the batters. In the same duration, Kohli had just two tons, the latest being in Perth in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Joe Root responds to Darren Lehman’s comment regarding all-time Test greatness
Williamson has been struggling with continuous elbow injuries in the same period, while there has been a remarkable drop for Smith, whose average has fallen below 30 in the last 12 months. When Kohli reached his 30th century, surpassing the record of Donald Bradman, he smashed his 1457thTest run down under at an average of 56.03 with seven centuries.
The former Australia head coach, Darren Lehman, claimed that Joe Root won’t be called an all-time great until he scores a century down under in the Ashes, just like the others have made.
“Joe Root is a great player, but is he an all-time great? He’s had four [three] goes in the Ashes, hasn’t made a hundred. Nope, a rung below for that reason. They’ve made runs all over the world in difficult conditions against different oppositions. And that’s the only thing stopping Joe Root. I think he’s a great player, but is he in that upper echelon?” Lehman expressed on ABC Sport.
The Yorkshire-born has struggled in Australia with 892 runs in 27 innings at an average of 35.68 with nine half-centuries but yet to celebrate a century. This is the only place where he has batted more than five times and is yet to get to a Test hundred.
“So, I don’t have him in that realm. I think you’ve got to make hundreds all around the world. Smith does, Williamson has, Kohli has, [Rohit] Sharma has – I mean they’re world-class players.” Darren shed light.
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Joe Root is in the neighboring country of Australia as he prepares for the opening of the three Tests against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval, what’s going to be his 150th cap in the format. And the veteran wasn’t shy away from hitting back at the comments.
“My job is to score runs, right? To turn up every game and try to do all I can out in the middle. His job is to give his opinion and talk on the radio. I’ve not spoken to him for a while. I’ll do my job, and he can do his job. He’s completely entitled to say what he wants. That’s his right.” Joe Root clarified in an interaction at Christchurch.