🌟 A Career-Defining Moment
Joe Root described becoming the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket history as a “pinch-yourself moment” after surpassing legends Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting during his 150-run knock against India in Manchester. Now trailing only Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 runs, Root sits 2,512 runs behind the Indian icon2.
🧒 Childhood Heroes, Lifelong Inspiration
Root shared that as a child, he would emulate greats like Ponting, Sangakkara, and Lara in his backyard, pretending to score centuries around the world. Seeing his name alongside theirs now feels surreal: “Even just to be mentioned in the same sentence as these guys is a bit of a pinch-yourself moment. It is pretty cool, yeah”.
🧠 Focus on Team, Not Records
Despite the milestone, Root emphasized that his priority remains winning matches for England. “Those sorts of things should look after themselves,” he told the BBC. He recalled his Test debut in Nagpur in 2012, where he played against Tendulkar, calling it “a memorable experience I’ll never forget”3.
📈 Post-Covid Evolution
Since the pandemic, Root has transformed his batting approach. In the last five years, he’s averaged 55.33 and scored 21 of his 38 Test centuries. He credits this to a shift from technical focus to strategic risk management: “How can I eliminate as many modes of dismissal as possible, with the highest output?” he explained2.