Joe Root notched up his 40th Test century in Test cricket on the opening day of the second Ashes Test. With this ton, discussions around Root possibly breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record have begun again. Meanwhile, let us have a look at their stats comparison after 40 centuries in Test cricket.
Joe Root inched a century and 135 runs closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s multiple world records in Test cricket on the opening day of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane. This was his 40th ton in the longest format of the game, and is now only 11 centuries behind the legendary Indian cricketer, while Root needs 2235 runs to become the leading run-scorer in Test cricket history. For the unversed, Tendulkar finished with 51 centuries in the longest format of the game. Let us have a look at the stats comparison between Root and Tendulkar after 40 centuries:
Looking purely at the stats after 40 centuries, Sachin Tendulkar is winning the battle against Root as he was the fastest to the milestone. He completed 40 tons in the whites in his 154th Test and 252 innings, while Root did so in his 160th Test and 291 innings. However, the England batter has amassed more runs than Sachin at this stage.
Sachin, at the time of his 40th century, had scored 1273 runs at an average of 54.3 and had 51 fifties to his credit. On the contrary, Root has so far scored 13686 runs and has also notched up 66 half-centuries. In terms of average, he is behind Sachin at the moment.
Joe Root vs Sachin Tendulkar stats after 40 centuries in Test cricket: Who is winning the battle?
| Players | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Best Score | Fifties |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 154 | 252 | 12273 | 54.3 | 248* | 51 |
| Joe Root | 160 | 291 | 13686 | 51.45 | 262 | 66 |
Can Joe Root break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most runs in Test cricket?
Joe Root will soon turn 35, in 26 days to be precise, and one can certainly say that he is at the fag end of his career. He is 2235 runs away from breaking Tendulkar’s record and becoming the leading run-scorer in Test cricket. To England’s credit, they play around 10-12 Test matches every year. In that case, Root will have to play around 2-3 years in good form to become the highest run-getter in the longest format of the game.
The former England captain cannot afford a slip in form at this stage of his career. If he manages to do that, Root can certainly break Sachin’s world record to go on top of the list of players with the most runs in Test cricket.
Also Read