Joe Root etched his name further into cricketing history on Friday, becoming the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket during the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford.
The 34-year-old England batsman entered the match needing just 30 runs to surpass Indian legend Rahul Dravid (13,288 runs) and 31 to move past South African great Jacques Kallis (13,289). Root achieved the milestone in style, nudging a single off Mohammed Siraj through the off side to move ahead of both.
Appearing in his 157th Test, Root was met with thunderous applause and the familiar chants of “Roooot” from the Manchester crowd as the significance of the moment was acknowledged.
At the time of his landmark, England were well-placed at 261-2 in response to India’s first-innings total of 358, trailing by 97 runs on the third day of the match.
Next on Root’s list is Australia’s Ricky Ponting, who scored 13,378 runs in 168 Tests. India’s Sachin Tendulkar, however, remains a distant target at the top with an unmatched 15,921 runs in 200 Tests.
With Root still active and in prolific form, there remains a possibility that he could eventually challenge the top two — especially given his consistency and fitness in the longest format.
England lead the five-match series 2-1, with the final Test set to begin at The Oval next week.