Hamilton: England cricket maestro Joe Root has added yet another remarkable achievement to his illustrious career.
On the second day of the third Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Root became only the second cricketer to score 1,500 Test runs in a calendar year on multiple occasions, equaling the record of former Australian captain Ricky Ponting.
The right-hand batsman entered the match needing 30 runs to reach the milestone and achieved the feat in the second session.
This marks another chapter in his extraordinary career, having previously scored 1,708 runs in 2021 – a year in which he also led England from the front.
In 2024, he accumulated 1,502 runs in 17 matches, further solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest Test batsmen of the modern era. His consistency is comparable to that of Ponting, who reached the milestone in 2003 and 2005 with 1,503 and 1,544 runs respectively.
Root joins a select group of players who have surpassed 1,500 runs in a single year, including legends such as Mohammad Yousuf, Viv Richards, Graeme Smith, Sachin Tendulkar and Michael Clarke.
Most test runs in a calendar year:
- Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan) – 1,788
- Viv Richards (West Indies) – 1,710
- Joe Root (England) – 1,708
- Graeme Smith (South Africa) – 1,656
- Michael Clarke (Australia) – 1,595
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 1,562
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 1,544
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 1,503
- Joe Root (England) – 1,502*
Root is in great form heading into 2024 and in his final Test of the year, he also tops the rankings as the leading run-scorer in this year’s Test format.
More test runs in 2024:
- Joe Root (England) – 1,502*
- Yashasvi Jaiswal (India) – 1,304
- Ben Duckett (England) – 1,134
- Harry Brook (England) – 1,099
- Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka) – 1,049
The premier slugger is on the verge of another historic achievement. If he scores another 84 runs in the ongoing match, he will become the first English player and only the fifth cricketer in history to surpass 13,000 Test runs.
His quest for 13,000 runs also represents an opportunity to break Jacques Kallis’ record as the fastest player to reach this milestone in terms of games.
Kallis achieved the feat in 159 Tests, while India’s Rahul Dravid achieved 160. With 12,916 runs in 152 matches, Root could surpass both the legends.
