Joe Root

Matthew Hayden congratulated Root for his maiden Test ton in Australia after stumps on Day 1. Check what his daughter, Grace Hayden said in her Instagram story

Root's first century on Australian soil is also his 40th overall Test century, which means he is now just one behind former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting, who has the most Test tons (41)

India and England's rebranded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy produced a gripping 2-month Test series that broke batting records, stirred controversies, and celebrated red-ball legends on both sides.

India's Abhishek becomes the top T20I batter as Travis Head slips. Ravindra Jadeja, Ben Stokes, and Joe Root make big gains in the ICC Test rankings after standout performances in Manchester Test

Born in December 1990, more than a year after Sachin Tendulkar made his iconic Test debut in Karachi, England's Joe Root grew up doing what most cricket-loving kids of his generation did -- trying to copy the Little Master. More than three decades on, Root now finds himself second only to Tendulkar in the list of all-time Test run-getters as he reflected on the Indian maestro's legacy his own journey as a youngster inspired by the Indian icon. "He's one of the greats the game has seen, hasn't he? I mean, all the things that he managed to achieve with the pressures that he had to shoulder and burden were incredible, Root said during a conversation with Harsha Bhogle on Sony Liv. The Yorkshireman surpassed Ricky Ponting's tally of 13,378 runs on Friday, day three of the fourth Test against India, and now sits at 13,409 runs from 157 Tests -- behind only Tendulkar's towering 15,921. Root made his Test debut in the 2012 Nagpur Test, a series that marked the twilight of Tendulkar's ...

Root started the day at number five and surpassed three legends to reach the number two spot

Root has also surpassed Ricky Ponting in the all-time highest run scorers in Test cricket and now holds the second spot behind Sachin

At 34 years old, Root becomes the oldest player to occupy the top Test batting spot since Kumar Sangakkara achieved the feat at age 37 in 2014.

Bumrah noted a clear difference in quality, recalling how the Dukes ball in 2018 held its shape better and offered consistent swing throughout

Root's catch of Nair was his 211th catch in Test cricket, as he now surpasses Rahul Dravid to become the most successful outfield player in red-ball cricket

Root needs just one century to equal and two more to surpass fourth-placed Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara

'Bazball' seemed to take a back seat for Stokes's men, as the tentative start by ENG was followed by two quick wickets from all-rounder Nitish Reddy, who struck at the perfect moment for the visitors.

The closest active cricketer to Root's number is Australia's Steve Smith, who has 2,356 runs in just 24 matches

Root, widely regarded as one of the finest batters of his generation, has had a lukewarm run so far in this series. Across the first two Tests, he has accumulated just 109 runs in four innings.

Dravid, often regarded as the safest pair of hands in Indian cricket, set the benchmark with 210 catches over a 16-year career

The breakout star of the cycle, India's Yashasvi Jaiswal, amassed 1,798 runs in just 19 Tests, averaging 52.88

Joe Root last played an ODI game for England back in November 2023 against Pakistan during ODI World Cup

Steve Smith achieved this milestone with his first run against Sri Lanka in the ongoing Test match

England's poor performance in last year's World Cup, where Root scored just 276 runs at an average of 30.66, led to the decision to explore opportunities for younger players.

Chris Woakes, known for his all-round abilities and steady performances, has surprisingly missed the cut for the IPL 2025 auction