Joe Root hit a magnificent hundred on day three of the fourth Test between England and India at Emirates Old Trafford, moving him into second on the all-time leading run-scorers list in Test cricket.
Starting the day 11 not out, and fifth on the list, Root pushed past Rahul Dravid when progressing his score to 30 and then Jacques Kallis soon after on 31, leaving him with Ricky Ponting next in his sights – and a score of 120 required.
But as England racked up the runs, building a big first-innings lead, Root cruised through to a 38th Test ton – tying Kumar Sangakkara in fourth on that particular list – before surpassing Ponting with a trademark late cut to deep backward point for a single, before modestly acknowledging the huge reception given by the Old Trafford crowd.
The 35-year-old now trails only Sachin Tendulkar in top spot, albeit the Indian batting great still a couple of thousand runs clear on 15,921.
Former Australian captain Ponting, having been surpassed by Root, said on commentary: “Congratulations Joe Root, now second on the table.
“This very knowledgeable crowd at Old Trafford all stand as one. A magnificent moment in history.
“Just the one more to go now [Tendulkar], he’s about 2,500 runs behind, but the way his career has gone the last four or five years, there’s absolutely no reason why not.”
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England’s Joe Root hit a ton during day three of the fourth Test against India
Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton added: “It has been a great privilege to watch, seeing him knock off those milestones.
“There was a lovely warm embrace with Ben Stokes when he got his 38th hundred, and a little self-conscious wave when he passed Dravid, Kallis and then Ponting.
“It has also been a privilege to see his career unfold in its entirety, starting when he walked out in Nagpur [in 2012] and said, ‘aye up lad, what’s happening?’ to Kevin Pietersen.
Ponting: Root one of the great problem-solvers
Root’s immense Test haul has come 11 matches quicker than Ponting’s 13,357, and one innings fewer, with the former England captain enjoying a particular purple patch in recent years.
During Root’s first 97 Tests he struggled with his conversion rate, scoring only 17 centuries to 49 fifties, but in his 60 caps since the start of 2021 he has notched a staggering 21 tons, converting more than half of his half-centuries into triple-figure scores.
Joe Root joins Kumar Sangakkara in a tie for fourth with his 38th Test match hundred
Asked what makes him so great, Ponting told Sky Sports: “What makes the best players the best is they’re great problem-solvers.
“Root, for a period of his career, had a problem with lbw, getting trapped on his crease. He was pushed back to balls he could have potentially come forward to.
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Nasser Hussain and Ricky Ponting discuss what makes Joe Root so good at batting
“There was the [2019 Ashes] series here where [Pat] Cummins and [Josh] Hazlewood, with the outstanding lengths they bowl, he was getting trapped and pushed back.
“What’s he done? He’s evolved and moved over the years from having his back foot on the crease line to six inches outside of the crease line, moving closer to the bowler to eliminate the lbw.
“It’s small changes, but it’s not an easy thing to do, when you’re so set in your ways, your technique and your routines.”
Ponting added: “The first thing that comes to mind for me is that he’s just a classical Test match batsman.
“He never seems under pressure, never seems rushed, always in control of what he wants to do – regardless of the bowler and conditions.
“And, like all of the great players, they find a way through experience to not make mistakes. He puts a high price on his wicket.
“To sit back and watch him over the last five or six years, where he’s really worked out his game, has been a pleasure to watch.”
Can Root catch Tendulkar in top spot?
England’s Joe Root celebrates his stunning 38th Test century on day three of the fourth Test at Old Trafford
Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton:
“Root averages about 85 runs a Test match, so he’d likely need 30 Test matches to get up to Sachin.
“You never know what lies ahead in terms of freak injuries, sport can be a cruel mistress, but given a fair wind he should be up to Tendulkar in around two and a half years.
“Given how he’s playing right now – the best he’s ever played – and given there’s no diminishing of his love and desire for the game, the numbers will likely take care of themselves.”
Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar is the leading run-scorer in Test cricket with 15,921 runs
Sky Sports’ Ricky Ponting:
“What a remarkable career it has been. How he has transformed from someone who couldn’t kick on from a score past fifty into a hundred, whereas now it’s almost like every time he gets to that mark it’s a hundred – and a big hundred!
“What an amazing career to date, he’s still got some way to go – he’s only 35. Can he chase down Sachin? Let’s see… he might well do it.
“I averaged over 60 after 100 Test matches, but then had a pretty dramatic drop off. Someone like Sangakkara was the opposite, he probably played some of his best cricket at the back end of his career.
“Because Joe’s technique is so good, I think he’s going to have less problems than others.”
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