CHRISTCHURCH: Experienced English batsman Joe Root continued to make noise in Test cricket as he surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become the highest run-getter in the fourth innings of the format.
Root achieved the milestone during England’s eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test of the three-match series here at Hagley Oval.
The right-handed batsman scored 22 not out, which was enough to take him past compatriot Alastair Cook and Indian batting great Tendulkar.
Root now has 1,630 runs in the fourth innings, five more than Tendulkar’s tally of 1,625.
Most fourth innings are run in Tests
Joe Root – 1,630 runs* in 49 innings
Sachin Tendulkar – 1,625 runs in 60 innings
Graeme Smith – 1,611 runs in 41 innings
Alastair Cook – 1,611 runs in 53 innings
Shivnarine Chanderpaul – 1580 runs in 49 innings
His fourth innings tally features two centuries and eight half-centuries, with 620 runs resulting in wins. Of the list of hitters mentioned above, only Smith has more than a thousand fourth-inning runs in winning cause.
For the unversed, Root is chasing Tendulkar’s record as the all-time highest run-scorer in Tests and is just 3,144 runs behind.
He is fifth on the list of batsmen with the most Tests, behind only Tendulkar, Australia’s Ricky Ponting, South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and India’s Rahul Dravid.
Most runs in Test cricket
Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 15921
Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 13378
Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 13289
Rahul Dravid (India) – 13288
Joe Root (England) – 12777
