Former India opener Wasim Jaffer feels Joe Root can break Tendulkar in Tests: But then, Cook too was a candidate

• Shubham
• 07 July, 2022

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By: Shubham Ghosh

A MONTH ago, former Australia captain Mark Taylor had remarked that ace England batter Joe Root could end up eclipsing former India great Sachin Tendulkar’s record tally of runs in Test cricket after he hit a ton against New Zealand.

Now, the same has been reiterated by former India opener Wasim Jaffer who feels the 31-year-old Root is capable of breaking Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 runs in the long format provided he can play for long.

Root scored a match-winning 142 not out in the just-concluded fifth Test match against India at Edgbaston which saw the Three Lions drawing the 2021 series 2-2. He added unbeaten 269 runs with another in-form batter Jonny Bairstow as England easily overhauled the target of 378 that India had set for them with seven wickets in hand. In the series, Root plundered 737 runs at an average of 105 plus. His highest score in the series was 180 not out. The organisers had not second thought in picking him as the player of the series.

Jaffer has backed the former England captain to break Tendulkar’s long-standing record for the most Test runs that he has gathered in 200 matches. Speaking with ESPNCricinfo, the former India batter said if he survived for a long time, Root is surely capable of eclipsing the Indian batting maestro.

“He can do it if he plays that long. He is only 31 years old. We all know that the career of English and Australian players isn’t long. But, if he plays another 5-6 years, I feel that he is capable of breaking the record,” said Jaffer.

The latest hundred at Edgbaston was Root’s 28th in Test which puts him at par with South Africa’s Hashim Amla and Australia’s Michael Clarke. He is currently the world’s No.1 batter in Tests, as per the International Cricket Council’s rankings.

In terms of runs, Root has 10,458 of them in 121 matches at an average of 50.76.

Before Root, Alastair Cook also looked a strong candidate to break Tendulkar’s record but the former England opener decided to retire at the age of 34 with a run tally of 12,472.