INTERVIEW
Follow Us15,921 runs.
For the longest time, this has been quite a magical figure in Test cricket, and for most cricketers, it has only been a dream even to come close to that figure.
But this daring 33-year-old from Yorkshire, Joe Root, is not just scaling newer heights with his batting display but also threatening to surpass Sachin Tendulkar's legendary records. Root is now at 12,402 runs, 3,519 runs behind an all-time magical record.
Last month, Root surpassed Sir Alastair Cook’s record of 32 Test centuries, becoming the only player in the current era to have 33 centuries. Since 2021, Root has shown a big appetite for runs, amassing 4,579 runs, out of which he has 15 fifties and 17 centuries.
What’s quite crazy about all of this is that the 33-year-old has managed to convert 53.12% of his innings into a triple-figure score, which has helped him double his tally from 17 to 34 Test centuries. But the biggest of all questions is whether Root can maintain his hunger and mental strength to keep his purple patch running.
“Oh, I think Root is very hungry. Look at the way he’s playing over the last six months, he’s scored 30% of England’s all-home runs this summer. That’s very Don Bradman-like, he’s absolutely on course to beat Sachin Tendulkar’s record,” former England spinner Monty Panesar told Cricket.com in an exclusive interview from the sidelines of Legends League Cricket.
Every good part then has that ‘but’, which puts a more objective lens into the whole Sachin Tendulkar vs Joe Root debate. The 'but' part is, of course, the two giant-sized obstacles in front of him - India and Australia.
Since 2021, Root has had stellar numbers against India at home, averaging 105.29. However, India exploited his weakness quite well in the five-match Test series that was played between the two sides earlier this year.
“The only obstacle could be the five Test matches against India, if India find a weakness and gets through to him, and he finds ways of not enjoying cricket and becomes miserable about scoring runs, it is up to the Indian bowlers now. If they can find a way, then that could be one factor,” Panesar added.
But Root's biggest weakness, a factor that still has the jury hung, is his batting display in Australia. Across 27 innings over the last decade and more, the Yorkshire man has only been able to score 892 runs with ZERO centuries.
For someone who scores a century once every eight innings, Panesar feels that the ‘Australia’ factor could stop Root from attaining the legendary record.
“The other factor is in Australia, in 12 months' time. He has never scored a hundred in Australia, he may not perform so well because his record isn’t as good in Australia as in England. The current Indian team that travels to England could set the downfall trend for him. That could be the one,” Panesar warned Root.
Currently, Root and England are in Pakistan, another country where the former England skipper doesn’t have the best of records, averaging 25 despite all four Tests coming in probably the flattest of all-batting conditions in the 21st century. However, his results over the next year could ultimately be the ‘game-changer’ for Root in terms of him going past Sachin’s record.
“Who knows, games can change very quickly. Next year is going to be a big year for Joe Root, he’s playing India and Australia - both five Test matches. If he overcomes that, he will definitely beat Sachin’s record,” he added.
There’s no denying that Root will likely go down as the greatest English Test batter. Whether he will go down as the greatest-ever Test batter is something that only time will tell us.
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