Sachin Tendulkar opens up on Joe Root becoming 'second only' to him
Tendulkar says Root's ability to assess wicket and strike rotation impressed him on his debut
KARACHI: India’s batting great Sachin Tendulkar, on Monday, commented on the prospects of England’s stalwart Joe Root surpassing him as the all-time leading run-scorer in Tests, stating he knew that he would be a ‘big player’.
Tendulkar scored 15,921 runs in 200 Test matches before calling time on his legendary career in 2013. His monumental record has been intact since then, but Root, who is in red-hot form, particularly in the longest format, is fast approaching.
The former England captain is now only behind Tendulkar on the list of most Test runs, having accumulated 13543 runs in 158 matches at a remarkable average of 51.29 with the help of 39 centuries and 66 fifties.
Although Root is still 2378 runs behind Tendulkar, he is being backed by cricket pundits, including former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, to break the long-standing record.
Tendulkar, who had remained tight-lipped on Root’s meteoric rise, was finally asked to share his first impression of Root, who made his Test debut against India, and also that he has become second only to him.
In response, Sachin Tendulkar termed breaching the 13000-run barrier a ‘remarkable achievement’ and claimed that Root impressed him on his debut with his ability to assess the pitch and strike rotation.
"To have gone past 13000 runs is a remarkable achievement, and he’s still going strong,” said Tendulkar.
“When I saw him for the first time in Nagpur in 2012 during his debut Test, I told my teammates that they were watching the future captain of England. What impressed me most was the way he was able to assess the wicket and how he rotated the strike. I knew at that very moment that he would be a big player."
Most runs in Test cricket
Comments