England’s right-handed batsman Joe Root with 12,664 runs in 267 innings, is set on a mission to break Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s lifetime test cricket record of 15,921 runs in 329 innings, to become the leading run scorer in the red ball format.
Currently, the 33-year-old English cricketer ranks as England’s highest run scorer in test cricket by displacing former captain Alastair Cook, who retired from the longest format of the sport with 12,472 runs in 291 innings.
England triumphed in the first out of the 3-match test series against Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs at the Multan Cricket Stadium and is currently becoming the talking point of the town. Batting first, the Pakistani batters posted a mammoth total of 556-10 in 149 overs. In response, England’s captain Ollie Pope declared his team’s innings at a total of 823-7 in 150 overs, ensuring a lead of 211 runs. It was possible due to Harry Brook’s triple century, Joe Root’s double hundred, and a crucial fifty from the opening batter Zak Crawley.
On Thursday (10 October), Joe Root smashed a record-breaking double-century by scoring 262 runs from 375 balls (including 17 fours) at a strike rate of 69.87. He maintained a 454-run partnership with Harry Brook, who scored the second-fastest triple hundred in tests with his stellar performance of 317 runs from just 322 balls (including 29 fours and 3 sixes) at a strike rate of 98.45.
Meanwhile, the former England captain Michael Atherton, gave a bold statement that Root has the potential to break Sachin’s record to become the first batsman in the test cricket history to reach 16,000 milestones.
Let’s explore the sensational achievements of Joe Root’s 6th double century that motivated Michael Atherton to voice his confident opinion.
Joe Root Becomes Fifth Leading Run Scorer in Test Cricket
Currently, Joe Root ranks as the fifth leading run scorer in test cricket and trails behind the former cricketers, including the names of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Rahul Dravid:
| Rankings | Player | Nation | Overall Runs in Test Cricket | Number of Test Innings Played | Number of Test Matches Played |
| 1. | Sachin Tendulkar | INDIA | 15,921 | 329 | 200 |
| 2. | Ricky Ponting | AUSTRALIA | 13,378 | 287 | 168 |
| 3. | Jacques Kallis | SOUTH AFRICA | 13,289 | 280 | 166 |
| 4. | Ricky Ponting | AUSTRALIA | 13,288 | 286 | 164 |
| 5. | Joe Root | ENGLAND | 12,664 | 268 | 147 and continuing |
| 6. | Alastair Cook | ENGLAND | 12,472 | 291 | 161 |
Joe Root’s Test Double Century vs Pakistan: Interesting Records to be known
On Day 4, these are the exceptional records Joe Root achieved with his 262-run-knock against Pakistan, which proves his ability to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s test runs record:
1. First Visiting Batter to score a double century against Asian Teams:
Interestingly, Joe Root becomes the first visiting batter to score a double hundred in Asia against these teams on their home grounds:
- India (218 runs in 2021)
- Sri Lanka (228 in 2021)
- Pakistan (262 runs in 2024)
2. Second Most Double Centuries for England in Tests:
By recording his 6th double century against Pakistan, Joe Root ranks as the second most batsman to score the most number of 200s, with the former cricketer Wally Hammond leading the list (7 double centuries).
3. Career Best Score in Test Cricket:
Joe Root recorded his career-best score in test cricket by scoring 262 runs, thereby surpassing his previous highest score of 254 runs against Pakistan in Manchester in 2016.
4. Highest Partnership for England vs Pakistan:
The partnership of 454 runs between Joe Root and Harry Brook is the highest ever for England against Pakistan as well as other teams in test cricket.
5. Fourth-Highest Partnership in Test Cricket History:
Joe Root and Harry Brook’s 454-run stand is the fourth-highest partnership in test cricket history. Whereas, the former Sri Lankan batters Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara rank at the leading position in the list with a massive 624-run partnership against South Africa in Colombo in 2006.
Michael Atherton’s Opinion About Joe Root: Great Chance to Overtake Sachin Tendulkar as Leading Run Scorer in Test Cricket
Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket, Michael Atherton guaranteed Joe Root’s long-term performance in test cricket by citing the example of England’s recently retired pace bowler Jimmy Anderson:
“Absolutely! He (Joe Root) has a great chance to achieve this feat in his career. In the previous summer, we worked out, and I believe that he will need another four years to attain a crucial milestone. Currently, he is 33 years old and will turn 34 this December. It is a fact that players are performing well a bit longer than they used to before. Also, it is rare for any player to get better with their performance, although Graham Gooch did in his career.
Let’s consider a recent example, where we watched Jimmy Anderson play until he was 41 years old, and he is a fast bowler as well. Mainly, the advancement in nutrition and training allows you to play a little longer.
However, it all depends upon a player’s desire. As long as their passion and enthusiasm for the game is active, he has higher chances of achieving outstanding records.
He (Root) makes sure to check every box, and it is a pleasure to watch him bat fantastically. We hope that he continues to play for his team for the upcoming years,” Michael Atherton said.
Final Thoughts:
Despite exhibiting an outstanding performance, the main question remains whether Joe Root can surpass Sachin Tendulkar as the all-time leading run scorer in test cricket with 3,248 runs needed to score.
Based on the above records, it is understood that Michael Atherton has made a rough assumption that Joe Root will continue to play at least 10 test matches per year in the upcoming years of his cricketing career.
Also, Joe Root has five more test matches to play in 2025 against India, in addition to the two fixtures in Pakistan before the commencement of England’s tour to New Zealand which consists of three test matches.
According to Michael Atherton’s opinion, it is understood that Root must remain fit until the end of 2028 to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record, who retired from red-ball cricket at the age of 40 years.
Since 2021, Root has batted exceptionally with an average of 55.84. If he continues to accumulate runs at that rate, he would certainly require 40 to 50 test matches to dethrone Sachin’s position to cement his place as the top run scorer of the red ball cricket.
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