Joe Root sets sights on breaking multiple records against India

England cricket team’s veteran batter Joe Root has been on the verge of setting multiple records ahead of the upcoming five-match Test series against India, which has been scheduled to start on June 20 at Headingley.

Root, who has recently surpassed the 13,000-run milestone during England’s historic one-off Test against Zimbabwe, has now moved within striking distance of overtaking two cricketing greats — Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid — on the all-time Test run-scorers list.

Root will also aim to surpass Dravid’s record for the highest-ever batting average among players who have featured in the India-England Test series.

So far, he has represented England in 153 Test matches, amassing 13,006 runs at an average of 50.80, including 36 centuries and 65 half-centuries.

With a highest score of 262, Root is currently England’s leading run-scorer in Test cricket and ranks fifth overall.

The 34-year-old needs just 373 more runs to overtake Australian legend Ponting, who scored 13,378 runs in 168 Tests at an average of 51.85 with 42 centuries.

Root, who currently has 13,006 runs in 153 Tests, also requires 282 runs to surpass India’s Dravid and 283 runs to move past South Africa’s Jacques Kallis.

Root’s remarkable consistency has already established him as England’s highest-ever Test run-scorer and one of the format’s most prolific batters globally.

He concluded the previous ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with 1,968 runs in 22 Tests at an impressive average of 54.66, including seven centuries and seven half-centuries.

His top score during this period — a monumental 262 against Pakistan in Multan — remains a highlight of his stellar career.

A standout performer against India, Root has scored 2,846 runs in 30 Tests against them at an exceptional average of 58.08, with 10 centuries and 11 fifties.

In addition to climbing the all-time runs chart, Root is also on track to become the first batter to reach 6,000 runs in WTC history.

He currently tops the WTC run-scoring chart with 5,543 runs in 64 matches at an average of 51.80, including 18 centuries and 21 fifties across 117 innings.

It is pertinent to mention that the five-match Test series between England and India is set to begin at Headingley, Leeds on June 20. The remaining matches are scheduled to take place at Edgbaston, Lord's, Old Trafford, and The Oval.