Joe Root Chases Sachin Tendulkar: How Far Is The Englishman From Peak Of Test Batting

Rahul Dravid? Check. Jacques Kallis? Check. Ricky Ponting? Check. Sachin Tendulkar… not just yet.

Joe Root managed to move up to second in the all-time Test scoring leaderboard after his brilliant score of 150 against India in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

His century in Manchester saw him surpass Dravid, Kallis and Ponting in one innings, but Tendulkar is yet to be caught.

Root said Tendulkar's record is not something he will focus on, but can the Yorkshire-born batter reach the top spot?

Race to catch Tendulkar

Root is now on 13,409 runs in the longest format, 2,512 behind Tendulkar's total of 15,921 for India.

Only Tendulkar (119) has more 50+ scores in Tests than Root (104), while the English batter is tied-fourth for most centuries in the format on 38, 13 behind Tendulkar's record of 51.

Root will now look to make the most of the final Test against India, an opponent he enjoys playing against.

The 34-year-old averages 59.1 in 62 innings against India, only having a better average against Sri Lanka (62.5), while his 12 centuries against them are the most by any batter.

Although many believe Tendulkar's record could be too far out of Root's reach, his recent record suggests otherwise.

Root was the leading run scorer in each of the previous World Test Championship cycles, with 1,915 runs in the 2021-23 campaign and 1,968 runs in the 2023-25 cycle.

His 1,708 runs in 2021 and 1,556 in 2024 were also the two-best calendar years of his career in terms of run-scoring.

England's number one

Even if Root does not reach Tendulkar's mammoth total, the former England captain has already cemented his place as his country's best.

Root's Test debut came in India in 2012, the only meeting between the two leading run scorers in the format.

He scored 73 in the first innings before an unbeaten 20 in the second helped England secure their first Test series win in India since 1985.

Root surpassed Alastair Cook's record (12,472) as England's highest scorer back in October 2024 against Pakistan in Multan.

In that same innings, he posted a personal-best score of 262, and also broke the record for England's biggest partnership after combining for 454 runs with Harry Brook.

Root captained 64 matches for England in Tests and won 27 matches while in the role, with both the most of any England captain.

His 7,195 runs on home soil are the most by any English player, with his 2,166 at Lord's also the highest.

Root has scored a venue-high eight centuries at the 'home of cricket', while his 23 in England equalled the record for most tons by a batter in Tests at home alongside Mahela Jayawardene, Kallis and Ponting.

And there are other records that remain in sight for Root. He has won 72 Tests for England, 11 short of James Anderson's record of 83, while his 34 Tests against Australia are nine behind the record by an England player (MC Cowdrey on 43).

England have an Ashes series coming up in December, where Root will be hoping to improve his batting numbers. He averages just 35.7 when playing in Ashes Tests abroad and is yet to score a century in 27 innings.