Star England batter Joe Root crossed 13,000 runs in Test cricket with a 34-run knock against Zimbabwe in the ongoing only Test between the two teams at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Root became the fastest batter to achieve the feat as well.
Veteran England batter Joe Root has scripted history; the 34-year-old completed 13,000 runs in Test cricket. He achieved the feat against Zimbabwe in the ongoing only Test at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Both sides locked horns from May 22, and the clash began with England coming in to bat first.
After Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, who propelled England to an exceptional start, scoring 124 and 140 runs, respectively. Ollie Pope and Joe Root continued the onslaught against the visitors. During the third session of day 1, Root etched his name in the history books, completing 13,000 Test runs.
In doing so, the star batter also became the fastest batter to achieve the feat, surpassing the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, and Rahul Dravid. Kallis previously held the record for being the fastest player to score 13,000 Test runs; the former Proteas all-rounder achieved the milestone in 159 Test matches. Joe Root has done it in 153 Test matches.
As for Root’s performance in the only Test against Zimbabwe, the ace batter was sent packing by Blessing Muzarabani for a score of 34 runs in 44 deliveries. Despite Root’s subpar show in the first innings, England found themselves in a comfortable position in the clash.
The side has put in an exceptional performance with the bat. With Ollie Pope scoring a century, it is also the first time after 2022 that the top three batters of England have completed their centuries as well. With the five-game Test series against India rapidly approaching, England will be hoping to gain a lot from the clash against Zimbabwe, and they will hope to approach the upcoming India series with confidence as the new World Test Championship cycle kicks off.
Fastest batter to 13,000 Test runs:
Joe Root: 153 matches
Jacques Kallis: 159 matches
Rahul Dravid: 160 matches
Ricky Ponting: 162 matches
Sachin Tendulkar: 163 matches