Joe Root Closing in on Tendulkar's Test Run Record

Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has expressed confidence that England's Joe Root may soon eclipse Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record for the most runs in Test cricket. Root recently achieved a significant milestone by surpassing 12,000 Test runs during a home series against the West Indies. Currently, he is 1,351 runs shy of Ponting's total of 13,378 and nearly 4,000 runs behind Tendulkar's record of 15,921 runs. In a discussion on the ICC Review, Ponting noted Root's age of 33 and the potential for him to reach Tendulkar's record if he maintains his performance levels. He emphasized that the number of Test matches played annually will be crucial, suggesting that if England plays between 10 to 14 Tests a year and Root scores between 800 to 1,000 runs, he could be just three to four years away from breaking the record. Ponting highlighted Root's recent form, including his fourth century of the year, as evidence of his capability to achieve this milestone. Ponting remarked on Root's improved conversion rate, stating that he has transformed from frequently scoring fifties to consistently converting those starts into significant hundreds. This change in performance has been pivotal in Root's recent success, and Ponting believes that if Root's hunger for runs continues, he has a strong chance of surpassing Tendulkar's legendary tally. Root is set to play in the first Test against Sri Lanka on August 21 at Old Trafford in Manchester.