Joe Root equalled yet another Sachin Tendulkar record [Source: AFP]In a remarkable achievement, England's veteran batter Joe Root recreated Sachin Tendulkar's iconic batting record in Test cricket. Root attained the elite feat in the second Test between England and New Zealand at the Oval. After New Zealand set a massive target of 463 runs, the Englishmen had the worst possible start to their second innings. The hosts lost Emilio Gay and Jacob Bethell in the same over, as Kyle Jamieson rattled their top order. Coming in at number four, Joe Root opened his account with a single before his second run off Matt Henry's bowling placed him alongside Sachin Tendulkar on the most prestigious list of Test batters. Joe Root becomes 2nd batter after Tendulkar to score 14000 Test runsTalismanic English batter Root was left stranded on 13998 Test runs when Matt Henry trapped him plumb in front of the stumps in the first innings of the Oval Test. Thus, Root needed only two runs to enter the 14000-run club in Tests, a milestone that was attained only by Sachin Tendulkar. It took him seven balls to score two runs during England's second innings, as Root became the second batter in the history of cricket to score 14000 Test runs. Thus, he recreated Tendulkar's elite feat, further narrowing the gap between him and the God of Cricket as far as the most successful Test batters are concerned. Most runs in Test cricketSachin Tendulkar- 15921Joe Root- 14,000* (final score will be updated after the Oval Test)Ricky Ponting- 13,378Jacques Kallis- 13,289Rahul Dravid- 13,288Also Read: Joe Root's Test Captaincy Record: Is He An Upgrade Over Ben Stokes?Thus, Root is currently the second-highest run-scorer in Test history and the second player after Sachin Tendulkar to breach the 14000-run landmark. Legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting is third on the list, followed by Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid in the subsequent positions. How many runs does Joe Root need to surpass Sachin Tendulkar?As of publishing this article, Root has 14013 runs in Test cricket. Talismanic Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is the most successful batter in the history of the format with 15921 runs. Thus, Root needs 1909 more runs to go past the Master Blaster and become the highest run scorer in Test cricket. What are the similarities between Joe Root and Sachin Tendulkar?Root has been the most consistent performer in Tests among modern-day batters. An esteemed member of the Fab Four, Root had a slight dip in form between 2018 and 2020 before taking the cricket fraternity by storm through his redemption. Joe Root attained a second peak in his career, much like Tendulkar did in his late thirties. From 2021 to 2025, the Englishman clobbered 5954 runs, including 23 hundreds, at an average of 55.13. Apart from his resurgence, Root's elegant stroke-play, discipline, work ethic and sportsmanship establish him as an ideal successor to Tendulkar in Test cricket. Which other records of Sachin Tendulkar can Joe Root break in Test cricket?Besides becoming the highest run-getter in Test cricket, Joe Root can also go past Sachin Tendulkar on the list of batters with most hundreds in the format. Currently, Root has 41 Test hundreds, with Tendulkar leading the chart with 51 tons. So, eleven more centuries can help Root dethrone the Master Blaster. Additionally, he needs only three fifties to overtake Tendulkar and record the most half-centuries in Test cricket. Also Read: Rishabh Pant Trade Rumour: IPL Superstars Who Might Take A Pay Cut For 2027 Season
