'They're never really your runs' - Joe Root reacts to getting past 14,000 Test runs against New Zealand

Joe Root provided a humble response when asked for his reaction to surpassing 14,000 Test runs during the second Test match against New Zealand at the Oval. The right-handed batter stood in place for Ben Stokes as the interim captain, but suffered a 253-run defeat in the game.

Despite suffering a loss on his return to captaincy, Root surpassed a personal milestone by becoming only the second player in the format's history to score 14,000 runs. However, in a typical response, the 35-year-old downplayed the achievement, stating that the runs do not entirely belong to him as they are scored for the betterment of his side.

The middle-order batter, however, was humbled by the reception he received from the Oval crowd after scoring two runs in the second innings, something that he jokingly compared to Jack Leach's one run off 17 balls during the 2019 Ashes Test at Headingley, where Stokes took England to one of the most unlikely victories.

"I saw a quote from Kane [Williamson], not long ago, they're never really your runs, and it resonated with me. You're trying to win games, you're trying to do things to put yourself in a position to win games or chase things down. I think that's ultimately how I try and see it is constantly just having that mindset of what do we need to get to, where we need to get to in whatever situation we find ourselves in. But it was obviously very humbling, and I was very appreciative of the reception that I got in that moment. Apart from Leachy's [Jack Leach] knock at Headingley, I've never seen so little runs get that much appreciation. So I'm very humbled by that," Joe Root said in the press conference.

Root is well on course to surpass the great Sachin Tendulkar to become the leading run-scorer in Test match cricket. The Englishman is currently 1,846 runs behind the legendary Indian batter, who retired from international cricket in 2013.