Joe Root Creates History, Now Behind Only Sachin And Anderson In Tests

The Manchester Test between India and England turned out to be another record-setting occasion for the English batter, as Root etched his name into the history books yet again.

The right-hander has now overtaken South African legend Jacques Kallis to become the third-highest run scorer in the history of Test cricket.

With his latest outing, Joe Root has surpassed Jacques Kallis, who had amassed 13,289 runs during his illustrious career. Root now stands third on the prestigious list, and with plenty of cricket still left in him, he may continue to close in on the top two.

Despite Root’s remarkable rise, the top of the list remains untouched. Sachin Tendulkar, the iconic Indian batsman, still holds the record for the most runs in Test cricket. He scored a staggering 15,921 runs across 200 matches—also a record in itself. Alongside the most runs, Tendulkar also holds the record for most centuries (51) and most Tests played.

Ricky Ponting of Australia remains second with 13,378 runs, just ahead of Joe Root’s current tally. The competition remains fierce in this elite club of legends.

Top 10 Test Run-Scorers of All Time: Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Ricky Ponting (13,378), Joe Root (13,289+), Jacques Kallis (13,289), Rahul Dravid (13,288), Alastair Cook (12,472), Kumar Sangakkara (12,400), Brian Lara (11,953), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (11,867), and Mahela Jayawardene (11,814).