Former England cricketer and commentator Michael Vaughan has backed England star batter Joe Root to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs in the history of Test cricket.
On Sunday, Joe Root smashed his 32nd Test century when the England cricket team faced West Indies on Day 4 of the second Test match at the Trend Bridge in Nottingham.
En route to his stupendous knock, Joe Root also surpassed the legendary Shivnarine Chanderpauland Mahela Jayawardene to become the eighth-highest run-getter in the longest format of the game. He also helped Joe Root equal the number of Test centuries by Australia’s Steve Smith and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.
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Following his incredible knock of 122 runs in the second innings of the second Test match against the West Indies, Joe Root took his run tally to 11,940 runs in 142 Test matches, with an average shying from the 50.00 mark.
With four more games remaining in the home summer, and with his fine form, there are chances that Joe Root might overtake some more legendary names in the run-scoring list.
Joe Root is also just 13 runs away from surpassing Brian Lara’s tally, while he is also close to breaking Alastair Cook’s runs record. Root is nearing Cook’s record for most Test hundred by an England batter (33). He is also 532 runs short of overtaking Cook as the leading Test run-scorer for
While these records are inevitable, the major question remains is whether Joe Root will be able to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record and how long will it take Joe Root to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 15,921 runs.
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In his column for The Telegraph, Michael Vaughan wrote:
“Joe Root will become England’s leading run-scorer in the next few months and is so special that he really could overtake Sachin Tendulkar eventually. With the bat generally, they did not look reckless like they have in the past. They are scoring quickly, but it doesn’t look like their egos are taking over. They are just playing with good sense,”
He added: “As the rock, Root is obviously key to that, and I love that he kept the reverse-scoop in the locker until he was past 100 and England’s lead was massive.”
If Joe Root continues at his current pace until the end of his career, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s impressive tally could indeed become a reality, but it remains a challenging prospect. Root needs another 3,982 runs to break Tendulkar’s record.
How Long Will Joe Root Take To Complete Sachin Tendulkar’s Record?
Throughout his professional life, Root has demonstrated consistency, especially after the COVID-19 lockout when he achieved unprecedented heights. In 46 Tests spanning four years, he scored his first four thousand runs.
In 44 Tests, he completed his most recent 4,000 runs. It’s estimated that Root will need at least 40 Tests at his current average to score the final runs. Joe Root is close to the 34-year-old mark in terms of age and considering the age factor he might experience a drop in run-scoring.
As age catches up with legendary players, their run-scoring tends to decline. For instance, Sachin Tendulkar needed 49 Tests to accumulate his final 4,000 runs in his career. Ricky Ponting, the second-highest run-scorer, achieved the same milestone in 57 Tests towards the end of his Test career.
Considering the natural decline and allowing for a realistic buffer of 5-10 Tests due to the age factor, Joe Root is projected to require approximately 45 to 50 matches to surpass this record.
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