England’s Joe Root acknowledges followers as he walks after shedding his wicket for 150 runs throughout fourth Check in opposition to India at Outdated Trafford Cricket Floor, Manchester, Britain, July 25, 2025. — Reuters
England’s star batter Joe Root grew to become the second-highest run-scorer in Check historical past after scoring a powerful hundred on day three of the fourth match of the five-game sequence in opposition to India at Outdated Trafford on Friday.
The 34-year-old, showing in his 157th Check, went previous former Australia captain Ricky Ponting’s tally of 13,378 runs with a single on the offside.
Root made an imperious rating of precisely 150, with solely retired India nice Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 Check runs) now having made greater than the 34-year-old Englishman’s tally of 13,409.
“Magnificent from Root, this is a great moment in history,” former Australia captain Ponting mentioned on Sky Sports activities because the Manchester crowd stood to applaud and chant the Yorkshireman’s title.
“The way his career his gone, there is absolutely no reason why he will not go past Tendulkar.”
“It has been a privilege to watch him knock off those milestones,” former England skipper Michael Atherton mentioned on Sky. “It has also been a privilege to see his career unfold.”
The English batter’s thirty eighth Check century additionally drew him stage with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara in fourth place on the listing of most tons of in a Check profession. Solely Ponting (41), Kallis (45), and Tendulkar (51) now sit forward of him in that elite class.
The 34-year-old walked in throughout the thirty ninth over with England comfortably positioned at 197/2, due to a powerful begin from the openers. He then anchored the innings by way of the tip of Day 2 and resumed his brilliance on Day 3, guiding England right into a commanding place.
Throughout his innings, Root leapfrogged a number of cricketing greats. In fast succession throughout the 57th and 58th overs, he went previous Rahul Dravid (13,288) and Jacques Kallis (13,289), earlier than lastly overtaking Ponting within the one hundred and first over.
Including one other feather to his cap, Root additionally crossed 1,000 Check runs at Outdated Trafford, additional cementing his legacy on the iconic venue and inserting England firmly answerable for the Check match.
Root’s immense Check haul has come 11 matches faster than Ponting’s 13,357, and one innings fewer, with the previous England captain having fun with a specific purple patch in recent times.
Throughout Root’s first 97 Checks he struggled along with his conversion charge, scoring solely 17 centuries to 49 fifties, however in his 60 caps because the begin of 2021 he has notched a staggering 21 tons, changing greater than half of his half-centuries into triple-figure scores.
England are 2-1 up within the sequence, with the ultimate Check on the Oval beginning subsequent week.
— With extra enter from AFP
