Joe Root has achieved a massive feat on Sunday as he became the leading run-getter for the England cricket team as captain in Test cricket. Root surpassed the tally of legendary Alastair Cook (4844 runs). The ICC number 1 ranked Test batter is enjoying sublime form with the bat as he is currently the leading run-getter in 2021. The premium batter has so far scored 1630 runs in 14 Tests and he will get a chance to add more to the tally in the Boxing Day Test.
On Day 4 of the day-night Ashes Test against Australia, Root surpassed Cook’s tally to script history. In 58 Test matches as England Test captain, Root has scored 4859 at an astonishing average of 47.63.
Earlier in the first innings, Root surpassed former Indian batting greats Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar’s tally of most runs in the calendar year.
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Gavaskar held the record of most Test runs – 1555 – in the year 1979 while Tendulkar scored 1562 runs in 2010 to go past the former India captain. However, Root on Saturday played a solid 62-run knock against England on the third day of the ongoing Adelaide Test.
Australia have set England a record target of 468 runs to win the second Ashes Test in Adelaide after declaring its second innings at 9-230 during the middle session on day four.
First-innings centurion Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head top-scored, making 51 apiece, with Cameron Green adding an unbeaten 33 as Australia sought quick runs in the evening session.
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England will need to create history to win with the highest successful fourth-innings test run chase being the West Indies’ 7-418 against Australia in 2003. The highest successful fourth-innings chase in Adelaide is Australia’s 6-315 to beat England in 1901/02.
However, things didn’t go well for England in the final session of Day 4 as they lost four wickets for 82 including the crucial one of skipper Root.
England are still 386 runs adrift, facing the near impossible task of batting out three sessions on the final day to salvage a draw with only six wickets remaining and the world’s number one ranked Test batsman back in the pavilion.
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