Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @root66, Facebook Profile Photo of Sachin Tendulkar
Michael Vaughan believes Joe Root is on the cusp of breaking one of cricket’s most iconic records—Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time runs record in Test cricket.
Root, the former England captain, is around 3,500 runs away from surpassing Tendulkar’s mark, putting him in a strong position to achieve it.
Vaughan feels this would be a significant moment for Test cricket, even though the BCCI might not favor an English player holding the top spot. At 33, Root continues to perform consistently, scoring centuries and bringing his goal of surpassing Tendulkar closer with each match.
“I think it’s three and a half thousand runs he trails by. He has at least three years. Unless his back snaps; he is the most enthusiastic lover of the game. I don’t think he is going to get away. He is no longer the captain and knows his game better than ever before. I’ll be amazed if he doesn’t. He has played beautifully,” said Vaughan.
Vaughan also suggested that the BCCI might prefer the record to remain with an Indian cricketer rather than having an English player hold the top spot.
“If Joe goes past Sachin, it will be the best thing that ever happens to cricket, because there’s no way BCCI would want an England player at the top of the list. They’ll want an Indian at the top so that will secure Test match cricket because it’ll take forever for someone to get past him,” added Vaughan.
Among Indian players, Virat Kohli is the closest to Joe Root, but it appears unlikely that he will surpass him. Kohli, 35, has amassed 8,848 runs in 113 Tests, which is still significantly behind Root.
Despite once being among the top batters, Kohli’s recent extended period of poor form has put him at a disadvantage. Vaughan believes Kohli’s chance to pursue Tendulkar’s record has been hindered by this decline.
While Root breaking Tendulkar’s record would be a historic achievement, Vaughan thinks it may cause discomfort for the BCCI. Root is nearing the end of his run-scoring journey, and the coming years will reveal if he can secure one of cricket’s most prestigious records.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Stay ahead of the latest cricket industry trends by subscribing to our free cricexc “daily briefing” newsletter.
