Published By: Admin

On This Day (June 5): Joe Root Hits 10,000 Test Runs, 14th to Touch the Milestone

Joe Root is the second-highest Test run scorer for the Three Lions

In cricket, Test is the most important format and therefore, players give their best to become a part of Test squad and perform as long as possible. After all, given how competitive cricket has become over the years, there is no dearth of talent and therefore, it is easy to lose one’s place from the squad. Not to forget, Test also requires patience and not every place can consistently get runs, years after years. 

However, in nearly 147 years of Test history, only 14 players have attained 10,000 Test runs – one of them is Joe Root, the latest player to join the elite club which comprises legendary names such as Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid, Kumar Sangakkara, Brian Lara, ShivnarineChanderpaul, MahelaJayawardene, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Sunil Gavaskar and Younis Khan.  

Against the Black Caps

On June 5, 2022, during New Zealand’s tour of England at the Lord’s, Joe Root crossed the 10,000-run mark in the first Test of the series. In the first innings, Root’s performance was extremely as he succumbed to 11 runs in 15 balls. However, it was the second innings during which Joe Root proved his mettle. 

The top order faltered as Alex Lees scored 20, whereas Zak Crawley added only nine runs, and Ollie Pope went back to the pavilion for ten runs only. That is when a determined Joe Root stepped onto the field, not only to pursue his own personal milestone but also to save his country from defeat. 

Root spent 328 minutes i.e., five hours and 46 minutes on the pitch facing 170 balls. He hit 115 runs maintaining a strike rate of 67.64 which included 12 boundaries. Root stayed not out till the end of innings, helping England reach 279 runs and win the match by five wickets. Root needed 218 innings to entire the 10,000 Test runs club. 

Records in Root’s name

Multiple other records are registered in Joe Roots’ name, such as:

  • Joe Root is the first player to have scored ten centuries against India. 
  • The former English captain is the first English player to register 19,000 international runs. He is also the fourth player to reach 19,000 runs. 
  • He is also England’s most half century scorer in Test cricket, clocking 91 half centuries, which is more than Alastair Cook. 
  • Joe Root is also England’s second highest Test century scorer with 140 centuries whereas the first position is held by Cook with 161 centuries. 
  • In ODI cricket, he holds the record for most catches (13) in a series. 
  • In Test cricket, Root also hold the record for maintaining the highest-run partnership for the 10th wicket – 198 runs with James Anderson against India on July 9, 2014. 

Joe Root’s career stats

Last but not least, moving on to Root’s career statistics, the English man has so far played 140 matches, scoring 11,736 with a highest score of 254 runs against Pakistan. He has scored 31 centuries and 61 half centuries which includes 1,280 boundaries and 44 sixes. Not to forget, he has also taken 193 catches in Test matches.