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By Shah Faisal

This year, England will play two big series: against India, in June, and Australia, later this year. For them to go through, all the way successfully, they will need their best players to stand up, and since the last 5 years, their best has been Joe Root. Root is not just the most yielding player but also the premier batter of the world as well. From 2020 to 2024, Root has not only held England’s uncanny batting order together but has done so with a style and steel that few in modern cricket can rival. In the past five years, he has piled on runs, delivered match-defining knocks, and etched his name among the most consistent and successful batters in Test cricket — yet his story is far from over. 

Five Years of Excellence 

Across these five years, Root has notched up 20 half-centuries and 19 centuries, a spellbinding return in an era where consistency and class have receded in terms of preferences. His consistency, resilience, and innovative intent stand alone as the representative face of English cricket over the last two or three years — a reminder that sometimes individual brilliance can be dimmed by team struggles. 

However, irrespective of the proficiency of his runs for the English team, Root’s remarkable run-gathering has made him challenge the record books. He is getting ready to do something that, 11 years ago, was just an impractical supposition. He is chasing Sachin Tendulkar. 

Chasing Sachin Tendulkar — a Legend 

With 12,972 Test runs and 65 half-centuries, Root now eyes the greatest of benchmarks — Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 runs and 68 fifties. To eclipse the Little Master, Root needs 2,949 more runs and 4 more fifties. It’s a daunting climb, but players like Root, who can soak themselves in the situation and transpire a phenomenon, can achieve such distinguished feats. 

If the chase gets to happen then it wouldn’t be just numbers changing themselves. It will be a plethora of gracious moments — elegant cover drives, silken back-foot punches, and feather-touch slip nudges that capture hearts far beyond England’s shores. If he does go on to surpass Tendulkar, it won’t just be about stats — it will be about the way he got there. 

A Test through Tests — The Testing Road Ahead 

The upcoming WTC cycle will test Root’s endurance and artfulness once again. He is set to play 21 Tests, of which 13 will be away from home. Among those tours, the most anticipated is the Ashes in Australia at the end of 2025 — a venue where Root has never scored a century, nor been part of a series-winning side. It's a ghost he’ll be desperate to exorcise. 

Add to that the fact that England, despite Root’s rich personal form, have failed to reach a WTC Final in either of the three cycles so far. With the third final also set to be held in England, there’s a lingering sense of disappointment — and unfinished business. 

More Than Just Numbers 

What makes Root so beloved isn't just the weight of runs, but the elegance with which he accumulates them. Fans come for the scoreboard but stay for the spectacle — the whip of the wrists, the scoop over slips, the reverse sweeps — from 3rd man to cover — and that trademark skip down the track to loft spinners. Root’s gait at the crease is not just a method — it’s a mood. 

As England attempts to climb the Test ladder once again, Root’s presence will be about more than runs. He’ll be the artist in a side looking for structure — the soul of a batting lineup still seeking stability. 

The Leadership Burden 

One of the hardest truths of this golden stretch for Root is that, despite his prolific form, England’s Test success has been inconsistent. Batting collapses, bowling injuries, and structural gaps have haunted them across formats. For Root, now no longer captain but still a senior statesman, the challenge will be to inspire through presence — to be the rock, even if not the formal leader — and shepherd his team towards a Test Championship final, at least once, in his remaining career. 

This WTC cycle offers redemption. It offers challenge. And for Joe Root, it offers legacy. 


This article first appeared on Cricket on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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