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Sachin Tendulkar had predicted Joe Root as England’s future captain after his 2012 Nagpur debut. Root now has 13,543 Test runs, chasing Sachin’s record, with the Ashes next.
Joe Root is only behind Sachin Tendulkar in list of batters with most runs in Test cricket. (Picture Credit: AFP)
India’s legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar reminisced about the moment he recognised that Joe Root would become a significant player and England’s future captain.
Root made his international Test debut on December 13, 2012, against India in Nagpur. During this period, Sachin, in the twilight phase of his illustrious career, witnessed Root’s impressive performance with the bat.
With England struggling at 119/4 in the first innings, Root’s textbook technique and solid footwork posed a serious challenge to the Indian spinners. In his first endeavour in the sub-continent, Root absorbed the pressure, faced 229 deliveries, and scored 73 runs, propelling the tourists to a total of 330. His invaluable knock ensured the match ended in a draw, and England secured a 2-1 Test series victory on Asian soil. Since his debut, Root has continually improved and was appointed England’s Test captain after Alastair Cook retired in 2017, leading the side until 2022.
What Did Sachin Tendulkar Say About Joe Root?
“To have gone past 13,000 Test runs is a remarkable achievement, and he is still going strong. When I saw him for the first time in Nagpur in 2012 during his debut Test, I told my teammates that they were watching the future captain of England. What impressed me most was the way he was able to assess the wicket and how he rotated the strike. I knew at that very moment that he would be a big player,” Sachin wrote during a ‘Q&A’ session on Reddit.
In the recently concluded inaugural edition of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Root became the fastest to reach 13,000 Test runs, moving closer to dethroning Sachin from the top of the run-getters list in the format. Currently, Root’s tally stands at 13,543 runs, just 2,378 runs short of Sachin’s record of 15,921. Root will aim to narrow the gap during England’s next Test assignment against Australia in the Ashes, scheduled to commence on November 21 in Perth.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha… Read More
Read More
