How long would it take for Joe Root to overtake Sachin Tendulkar's Test runs record?
Ace England batter Joe Root is inching towards the pinnacle of run-scoring in Tests, overtaking legendary names with each passing series. The former skipper recently went past Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Mahela Jayawardene with his heroics.
Courtesy his incredible 122 in the second innings of the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge, Root took his run tally to 11,940 runs in 142 Test matches, with an average short of the 50.00 mark by the barest of margins. With four more matches left in the home summer, there is a huge chance he will overtake some more monumental names in the run-scoring list soon.
Joe Root is only 13 runs away from overtaking Brian Lara's tally, while Alastair Cook's English record is also within sight. While these feats are almost inevitable, the question remains whether Root can end his career as the leading run scorer in the format, overtaking Sachin Tendulkar's record of 15921 runs.
Assuming Root scores at this rate until the end of his career (which would be an achievement in itself), crossing Tendulkar's imperious tally would become a reality, even if still a long shot. Simple subtraction tells us that Root is 3,981 runs away right now.
Root has been fairly consistent throughout his career, which was elevated to a different plane after the COVID-19 lockdown. Root took 46 Tests or four years to cross the 4,000 run mark, and his most recent 4,000 runs in the format have come in 44 Tests.
Considering his current average, he would likely need a minimum of 40 Tests to score the remaining runs. But a dip in form with age, or a potential lack of hunger towards the twilight of his career, could increase that number a bit.
All of the greats have experienced a drop in run scoring with age. As brilliant as Root is, he might also not be spared by time. Sachin Tendulkar, for instance, took 49 Tests to score the last 4,000 runs of his career. Ricky Ponting, who is second on the run-scoring list, took 57 Tests to score the last 4,000 runs of his Test career.
If a realistic buffer of 5-10 Tests is added to include this factor, the Englishman will need close to 45 to 50 matches to set the record.
Joe Root is close to the 34-year-old mark in terms of age, and England's Future Tours Programme (FTP) reveals a total of 30 Tests up until February 2027. That figure may rise if England go on to make it to the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
If Root stays injury-free, he can easily become the second-leading run scorer in the format in the aforementioned period. However, the gap between second and first is quite significant, meaning that Root might have to push hard in the final stages of his career.
Even the 30 Tests up until February 2027 would be far from a breeze. They include five Tests against a challenging Indian bowling attack, and the Ashes in Australia, which has been Root's Achilles heel.
Playing every Test that England has on their schedule might not be realistic with advancing age either. Up until now, Root has 142 Test appearances in 12 years of his career, which gives him an average of 12 matches a year. If he somehow manages to maintain this level of scoring and appearance, then Root should get there in four years.
Interestingly, Alastair Cook seemed to have had a realistic shot at Tendulkar's record too, having crossed the 12,000 run mark in Tests at the age of just 33. However, he went on to retire from international cricket at the age of 34, just 3,449 runs away from the first place. Cook might have been able to play enough matches in the World Test Championship era to accumulate that volume of runs (although whether he would have made it into the Bazball playing XI is a whole other argument).
Root is in a similar position to his former skipper now. But the stats and linear progression will greatly depend on his hunger.
His skill has been on show and proven, and so has his consistency, but it is difficult to predict a player's hunger, especially when it is the last phase of the career. If he wants it that badly, he can certainly push hard, overcome his slowing reflexes and difficulties in certain conditions, and manage his declining skill level and form. At the end of the day, it is completely up to him; if he wants it, it is his.