England’s Joe Root Becomes Second-Highest Run-Getter in Tests, Only Tendulkar Ahead

Joe Root has become the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, climbing three places in the all-time list during his century against India in Manchester. Root became England’s highest-ever run-scorer in October when he overtook Alastair Cook and went past three more batters on Thursday, leaving him second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 15,921 runs.

Root resumed his innings on 11 on the third morning and overtook Rahul Dravid when he reached 30 with a dab to deep third. He went past Jacques Kallis off his very next ball with a single through cover, and surpassed Ricky Ponting when he steered Anshul Kamboj to deep point for a single to reach 120.

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Root smiled sheepishly as the crowd gave him a standing ovation for his achievement, while India’s captain Shubman Gill also applauded him. Ponting was at Emirates Old Trafford commentating for Sky Sports to witness Root overtake him, and paid tribute to Root’s hunger for runs.

“These last four or five years, it seems like every time he gets a start and gets to 50, it seems like he’s pushing on and making a hundred – and not just a hundred, making big hundreds, which is also the sign of a great player.”

This century, his second in as many Tests, was Root’s 38th in the format, equalling Kumar Sangakkara’s tally. Root also pulled clear of Kallis and Ponting when he reached fifty for the 104th time in Tests, second only to Tendulkar’s 119.

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He also became the first batter to score more than 1,000 Test runs at Old Trafford.

Root’s runs strengthened England’s position in the fourth Test against India as they moved towards a substantial first-innings lead. England lead the series 2-1 and can seal the five-match series with one Test to spare if they win this week.