Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes England's Joe Root is best positioned to break Sachin Tendulkar’s world record for the most Test runs.
With 15,921 runs in 200 Test matches, Tendulkar's record has stood the test of time. Even after a decade since his retirement, the question remains: will anyone surpass Tendulkar’s numbers? England’s James Anderson came close to 200 Tests but paused at 188. Now, according to Ponting, former England captain Joe Root is the most likely candidate to scale this mountain of runs.
While players like Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson are in the conversation, their recent form in red-ball cricket has been inconsistent. Additionally, England plays more Test matches annually than India, New Zealand, and Australia, giving Root more opportunities.
Recently, during the Edgbaston Test against the West Indies, Root became only the seventh player in Test history to surpass 12,000 runs. With 12,027 runs in 143 Tests at an average of 50.11, including 32 centuries and 63 half-centuries, Root currently ranks seventh on the all-time list. He is closing in on Kumar Sangakkara (12,400 runs) and Alastair Cook (12,472 runs), while Tendulkar remains at the top.
Ponting, who himself amassed 13,378 runs in 168 Tests, spoke on *The ICC Review*, stating, "Root could potentially break the record. He’s 33 and about 3,000 runs behind. If they play 10 to 14 Tests a year, and he scores between 800 and 1,000 runs annually, he could achieve it in three to four years, taking him to around 37 years old."
Ponting emphasised that Root’s hunger for runs will be crucial, and age is still on his side. “If his desire remains, there’s every chance he can do it. He’s improved significantly over the last few years,” Ponting noted.
The Australian legend highlighted that Root has overcome a significant issue from earlier in his career: converting half-centuries into big scores. "A few years back, he was regularly getting to 50 but struggled to reach triple figures. Now, almost every time he reaches 50, he goes on to make a big hundred. That’s been the game-changer for him," Ponting added.