Joe Root opens up on chasing Sachin Tendulkar’s world record in Test cricket

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England batting star Joe Root has spoken candidly about the increasing discussions surrounding Sachin Tendulkar’s legendary Test run record. As Root continues his remarkable consistency in red-ball cricket, conversations about whether he can eventually surpass Tendulkar’s historic tally have only intensified across the cricketing world.

Currently sitting second on the all-time Test run charts, Root is the closest active player to the iconic milestone. However, the former England captain made it clear that his admiration for Tendulkar outweighs any obsession with records.

During an interaction with The Athletic, Root admitted that questions about Tendulkar’s record have now become impossible to avoid. The England batter then paid glowing tribute to the Indian legend and highlighted the extraordinary longevity of Tendulkar’s career. Root also acknowledged the pressure and attention Tendulkar handled throughout his legendary career.

“Well, I get asked it enough times now that I can’t really ignore it even if I try to. It’s remarkable what Sachin Tendulkar achieved in the game. You have to believe me when I say that to even be in the conversation with him is enough for me. The guy made his Test debut before I was born and played in my Test debut! His longevity in itself is remarkable and then you look at the runs he got in Test cricket… but not only that, he’s got 50 ODI hundreds, too. All the while he was the most famous man in India. Serious, serious player,” he said.

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Despite inching closer to one of cricket’s biggest records, Root insisted that his primary focus remains on evolving as a batter and contributing consistently for England. Root currently has 13,943 Test runs to his name and remains the strongest active contender to challenge the all-time record of Sachin Tendulkar of 15,921 runs.

His consistency across the last few years has firmly placed him among the modern greats of the format, and with several years of cricket potentially still ahead of him, the race towards one of the sport’s most iconic milestones continues to gather attention.

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