England’s Joe Root Surpasses Ponting, Nears Tendulkar in All-Time Test Runs
MANCHESTER – Joe Root has etched his name even deeper into cricketing history. On the third day of the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, Root delivered a masterful century to surpass Australia’s legendary Ricky Ponting and become the second-highest run scorer in Test cricket history.
📊 Record-Breaking Performance at Old Trafford
Root began the day behind Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid but moved past both in the morning session. By lunch, his composed half-century – his 104th score of 50 or more – had taken England to 332/2. Root now trails only the great Sachin Tendulkar, who leads with 15,921 Test runs.
Root remained unbeaten on 121 at tea and raised his total to 13,380 runs in 157 Tests, edging past Ponting’s 13,378. His current stats:
-
Matches: 157
-
Innings: 286
-
Runs: 13,380
-
Average: 51.04
-
Centuries: 38
-
Fifties: 67
🏟️ Dominating Old Trafford Like No Other
Beyond the milestone, Root’s innings carried extra meaning. He became the first player to score 1000 Test runs at Old Trafford, now totaling 1,041 runs in 12 matches at an average of 69.40. This includes eight half-centuries and a memorable double-century of 254.
He joins Alastair Cook and Graham Gooch as one of only three players to score 1000+ runs at two English grounds, with over 2000 runs at Lord’s also to his name.
🇬🇧 England in Control
Root’s steady hand, along with a solid 100+ partnership with Ollie Pope (71), pushed England into a dominant position. Although India briefly rallied, Root remained composed, guiding England to 433-4 at tea, with a lead of 75 runs. Captain Ben Stokes stood firm on 36* as England looked to wrap up the match and the series with one Test remaining.