IND vs ENG Test: Joe Root Surpasses Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis to Become 3rd-Highest Run-Scorer in Test Cricket

England batting star Joe Root has etched his name in cricket history by surpassing legendary players Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis to become the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket. The milestone was achieved during the fourth Test against India.

Root's Historic Feat

Root entered the match with 13,259 runs in Test cricket. On Day 3, he went past Dravid’s tally of 13,288 runs and then Kallis’ 13,289 runs, moving up from fifth to third place on the all-time run-scorers list. He now trails only Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs) and Ricky Ponting (13,378 runs).

During his innings, Root also became the first cricketer to score 1,000 Test runs at Old Trafford. He is now the third England batter to achieve 1,000+ runs at two different venues, joining Alastair Cook and Graham Gooch, with 2,166 runs at Lord’s.

Ricky Ponting on Root’s Milestone

Former Australian captain and ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting, who is next on the list with 13,378 runs, praised Root’s consistency and evolution as a batsman:

“If he keeps going on like this, that could very well happen today. What a remarkable career it’s been for Joe. He’s transformed from someone who struggled to convert fifties into hundreds, to someone who now regularly scores big hundreds,” Ponting told Sky Sports.

Ponting also lauded Root’s career stats:

“With 37 Test hundreds and over 13,000 runs, his career is already exceptional. At 35, he shows no signs of slowing down. Can he chase down Sachin? It’s possible.”