On Sunday, September 8, Joe Root, the renowned English batsman currently ranked No. 1 in the ICC Test batting rankings, surpassed former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara to claim the sixth spot among the all-time leading run scorers in Test cricket. Root’s ascent marks a significant achievement in his illustrious career, further solidifying his place among the game’s greats. This milestone highlights his exceptional consistency and skill, adding to his growing list of cricketing accomplishments.
Joe Root Surpassed Kumar Sangakkara:
Joe Root surpassed Kumar Sangakkara’s career run tally by scoring 11 runs in the second innings of the ongoing third Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval. Sangakkara, who retired with 12,400 runs from 134 matches, held the sixth spot in the all-time Test run-scorers list. Root has now accumulated 12,402 runs across 267 innings in 146 Tests, moving ahead of Sangakkara. This achievement further cements Root’s position among cricket’s elite, highlighting his enduring prowess and consistency throughout his career.
Sachin Tendulkar tops the list for the highest run-scorer in Test cricket, amassing a remarkable 15,921 runs over 200 matches. He is succeeded by Ricky Ponting, who has 13,378 runs, and Jacques Kallis of South Africa with 13,289 runs. Rahul Dravid follows closely with 13,288 runs, while England’s Alastair Cook rounds out the top five with 12,472 runs.
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Joe Root Likely to Achieve Another Big Milestone:
Having surpassed Kumar Sangakkara’s record, Joe Root is now aiming to make history by becoming the first batter to reach 5,000 runs in World Test Championship history. He is just 27 runs shy of this milestone, with a strong performance in the ongoing Test potentially securing his place in the record books.
Furthermore, if Root scores at least 83 runs in the second innings, he will eclipse Alastair Cook’s record to become England’s leading run-scorer in Test cricket. This achievement would mark a significant milestone in Root’s illustrious career and cement his legacy in the format.
If Joe Root scores a century in the second innings of the ongoing Test, he will move up to sixth place on the all-time list for most Test centuries. Currently, Sachin Tendulkar holds the top spot with an astounding 51 centuries in his Test career. Following Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis accumulated 45 centuries across 166 Tests for South Africa, while Ricky Ponting notched 41 centuries in 161 matches for Australia. Kumar Sangakkara is next with 38 centuries, and Rahul Dravid ranks fifth with 36 centuries from 164 Tests.
Root recently surpassed Alastair Cook’s record of 33 centuries for England, achieving this milestone with centuries in both innings of the last Test at Lord’s. A century in this innings would further solidify his position among the elite century-makers in Test cricket.
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