For over a year and a half, Joe Root has stood as the most successful batter in England’s Test cricket history. Now, the 34-year-old has reached another monumental milestone — becoming the first English cricketer and only the fifth in the history of Test cricket to surpass 13,000 Test runs.
Root came into the Trent Bridge Test against Zimbabwe just 28 runs short of the mark. He achieved the milestone in the final session on Day 1 of the match. This achievement came in his 153rd Test match and 279th innings.
With this feat, Root joins an elite group of Test legends:
Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 15,921 runs in 200 Tests (329 innings)
Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 13,378 runs in 168 Tests (287 innings)
Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 13,289 runs in 166 Tests (280 innings)
Rahul Dravid (India) – 13,288 runs in 164 Tests (286 innings)
Joe Root (England) – 13,000+ runs in 153 Tests (279 innings)
Although Root reached the historic mark, he couldn’t turn it into a big innings this time. He was dismissed for 44 off 34 balls.
Nonetheless, the milestone solidifies Root’s legacy as one of the modern greats and arguably the finest Test batsman England has ever produced.
