Joe Root is playing for England in the four-day Test against Zimbabwe currently underway at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham, and during the third session of the opening day’s play, he entered his name in the history books by becoming the fastest batter in the world to score 13,000 runs in Test cricket. The ongoing match in Nottingham is Root’s 153rd Test for England.
Root needed 28 runs against Zimbabwe to complete 13,000 runs in Tests, and he achieved the objective by taking a single on the first ball of the 80th over of England’s first innings bowled by Victor Nyauchi on Thursday (May 22).
Root broke Jacques Kallis’ record, who, during his playing days, completed 13,000 Test runs in his 159th match.
Fastest to 13,000 runs in Tests (matches)
- Joe Root (England) – 153*
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 159
- Rahul Dravid (India) – 160
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 162
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 163
However, in terms of innings taken, Root is the slowest batter.
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 266
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 269
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 275
- Rahul Dravid (India) – 277
- Joe Root (England) – 279*
Root is the first English and overall fifth batter in the world to score 13,000 runs in Test cricket. The former England Test captain made his red-ball debut against India in Nagpur on December 13, 2012, and in the last 13 years, has established himself as one of the greatest batters of all time.
Root has scored more than 2000 runs in Test cricket against Australia and India and he also has more than 1000 runs to his name against New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
