Root seizes major WTC milestone as England eye series win
The England batter distanced himself atop the World Test Championship runs chart during the fifth Test chase against India.
Shouldering England’s chase on Day 4 of the series decider against India, Joe Root created ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history.
The seasoned England batter became the first-ever to notch 6000 runs in the tournament.
Featuring in his 69th Test, Root is the leading run-getter in WTC, having featured in all four editions of the tournament so far.
Most runs in World Test Championship
| Batter | Matches | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Root | 69* | 6000* |
| Steve Smith | 55 | 4278 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | 53 | 4225 |
| Ben Stokes | 57 | 3616 |
| Travis Head | 52 | 3300 |
Boasting 20 centuries and 22 half-centuries, Root averages over 52, and is followed by Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben Stokes and Travis Head in the top-five of the WTC charts.
The former England skipper has been on a milestone-achieving spree during the ongoing five-Test series against India.
In Manchester, Root had overtaken Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-getter in Men’s Tests.
He is also joint-fourth in the tally for most centuries in the longest format of the game - 38 - alongside Kumar Sangakkara.
The 34-year-old also has the most catches as an outfield player in the longest format, a tally he topped during the ongoing series against India.
Root’s form with the bat holds England in good stead as they continue to embark on a big chase against India with the five-Test series on the line.
The hosts currently lead 2-1 following memorable wins at Headingley and Lord’s.