Joe Root
England’s star batter Joe Root added another remarkable chapter to his illustrious cricketing career on Friday by moving up to third place on the all-time Test run-scorers’ list.
During the third morning of the fourth Rothesay Test against India at Emirates Old Trafford, Root surpassed two of the game’s most legendary figures—India’s Rahul Dravid and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis—to claim the coveted spot.
Already recognized as England’s highest-ever run-scorer in Test cricket, Root began the day poised just behind Dravid’s total of 13,288 runs.
When he reached the personal milestone of 30 runs in the innings, he moved past Dravid’s tally. Just two deliveries later, under clear Manchester skies, he nudged his score up to 31—just enough to overtake Kallis’ 13,289 career runs as well.
With this achievement, Root now sits behind only Australia’s Ricky Ponting, who amassed 13,378 Test runs, and India’s iconic Sachin Tendulkar, who remains firmly at the top with an unparalleled 15,921 runs.
While Tendulkar’s record may still be a distant target, Root is within striking distance of Ponting. Should he score 120 or more in the current innings, he will leap into second place.
Root, 34, has consistently broken records throughout his career and is widely regarded as one of England’s greatest modern-day cricketers. He became England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer during the tour of Pakistan in October last year, surpassing Sir Alastair Cook’s previous mark of 12,472 runs.
His dominance extends beyond the red-ball game as well; just last month, Root overtook Eoin Morgan to become England’s highest run-scorer in One Day Internationals (ODIs) too.
The Yorkshireman’s continued rise in the record books cements his status as a global cricketing great and highlights his remarkable consistency across formats over the years. As he edges closer to more historic milestones, Root’s name will undoubtedly remain etched among the all-time legends of the game.
