Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting believes star English batter Joe Root can break Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of most runs in Test cricket. Tendulkar, who made his Test debut for India on November 15, 1989, and played for 24 years, scored 15,921 runs in 200 red-ball matches. Root, on the other hand, has 12,027 runs to his name in 143 matches played so far. He is roughly 3900 runs behind Tendulkar’s tally.
According to Ponting, who is the second-leading run scorer in Tests, Root can surpass Tendulkar’s tally if he stays ‘hungry’ and keeps scoring at a consistent rate for the next four years.
“He (Root) could potentially do that. He is 33 years old. (more than) 3000 runs behind,” Ponting told the ICC review.
“It depends how many Test matches they play, but if they’re playing 10 to 14 Test matches a year and if you’re scoring 800 to 1,000 runs a year, then that sort of says he’s only three or four years off getting there. So that’ll take him to 37 (years of age),” said the legendary Australian.
Ponting said Root will need to remain hungry for runs, and he has the age on his side to aim for the Test record.
“If his hunger’s still there, then there’s every chance that he could do it. He is someone who, in the last couple of years, has gotten better and better. There’s always talk around batters reaching their prime in their early 30s, and he’s certainly done that. It’s been his conversion rates being the big thing,” he said.
According to him, Root seemed to have overcome his inability to convert half-centuries into big scores.
“Four or five years ago, he was making a lot of 50s and struggling to go on and make hundreds, and he’s gone the other way recently,” Ponting said. “Almost every time he gets to 50 now, he goes on and makes a big hundred. So that’s been the real turnaround for him,” he added.
Root, who scored 291 runs in the recently concluded three-match Test series against the West Indies, will be seen in action for England against Sri Lanka next. The first Test of the three-match series at home will start in Manchester on August 21.
England will also travel to Pakistan in October for a three-match Test series against the Shan Masood-led side.
