(Image Source: AP / AFP)
[Saba Sports News] On the first day of the Test against India, England’s star batter Joe Root made history by becoming the highest run-scorer in India-England Test matches. Surpassing Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar’s record, the 33-year-old Root achieved this feat with a 29-run innings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Before this Test, Root needed only ten runs to overtake Tendulkar’s tally of 2535 runs from 53 innings, averaging 51.73. With his latest performance, Root now leads with 2555 runs from just 46 innings, boasting an average of 62.31, including nine hundreds and ten fifties.
Root also equaled Australian great Ricky Ponting’s record of most runs against India in Tests, both amassing 2555 runs. Notably, Root’s record against India in England is even more impressive, with 1574 runs from 15 matches at an average of 74.95, including seven centuries.
His standout series performance was during the 2021-22 Pataudi Trophy against India, where he scored 737 runs in nine innings, averaging an exceptional 105.28 with four hundreds.
On Day 1, England struggled, getting bowled out for 246, with captain Ben Stokes contributing 70 runs. India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Jasprit Bumrah were effective with the ball.
In response, Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma provided a solid start, with India ending the day at 119/1, trailing by 127 runs. Sharma was dismissed by Jack Leach, caught by Stokes, after which Shubman Gill joined Jaiswal at the crease.