Joe Root on the verge of surpassing Kallis, Ponting in elite list; needs 54 runs to achieve another major feat

England’s star batter Joe Root is just one good knock away from rewriting history once again. The former captain and current No.1 Test batter in the world has a big chance to achieve multiple records in the fifth and final Test against India, starting July 31 at The Oval in London.

Root has already been England’s most reliable batter in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. He smashed back-to-back centuries in the third and fourth Tests at Lord’s and Old Trafford and is currently ranked sixth on the list of most runs scored by a batter in this series, right below his teammate Jamie Smith.

Apart from contributing runs to his team, Root has also shattered several records. He surpassed Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting during his 150-run knock against India in the fourth Test to become the all-time second-highest run-scorer in Tests (13,409). Only Sachin Tendulkar (15,921) is ahead of him on this list.

If that wasn’t enough, Root is also closing in on 2000 Test runs against India in England. With 1977 runs in 19 home Tests against the Indians, he is just 23 short of the 2000 mark. He already holds the record for most Test runs by an England player against India on home soil.

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Root eyes Kallis, Ponting, Jatawardene’s record

Root currently has 23 Test hundreds at home, the same as Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Mahela Jayawardene. A century at The Oval would make him the first player in the world to score 24 Test centuries on home soil, putting him in a league of his own.

Root is currently sitting at 5946 runs in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) and needs just 54 more runs to become the first player ever to reach 6000 runs in WTC history. Australia’s Steve Smith is second on the list with 4278 runs.

The fifth and final Test promises to be a thrilling contest, with India aiming for a win to level the series, while England need just a draw to seal the series victory, having already taken a 2-1 lead. India showed great resilience in the fourth Test to keep the series alive and avoid a decisive defeat.

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