Joe Root surpasses 2,500 Test runs versus India: Key stats
On Tuesday, Joe Root scored a match-winning century to help England chase down 378 versus India in the rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston.. Root and Jonny Bairstow shared a superb 269-run stand for the fourth wicket to help England draw the series 2-2. Root was the best performer in the series, scoring above 700 runs. Here we decode his stats versus India.
Breaking down Root's performance in the five-match series
Root struck 64 and 109 in the first Test versus India last year in Nottingham. He followed that up with 180* and 33 at Lord's. In the third Test, he amassed 121 in an innings victory at Leeds. The fourth Test saw Root score 21 and 36 at The Oval. In the rescheduled fifth Test, he hammered 31 and 142*.
Why does this story matter?
Root and runs go hand in hand and his contribution deserves praise. He is the leading scorer in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship and top-scored in the 2021 calendar year. Since 2021, he has smashed 11 centuries, leaving the other members of the 'Fab Four' behind. Against India, he has always loved his batting and the runs show why he is different.
An astonishing 737 runs
Root managed to carve out four hundreds versus India and went on to register a total of 737 runs at a terrific average of 105.28. As per Cricbuzz, Root's aggregate of 737 runs in this series is only behind Graham Gooch's 752 in three-Test series in 1990 when it comes to bilateral series versus India and England.
2,500 runs for Root versus India
In 25 Tests, Root has racked up 2,526 runs against India at an average of 63.15. He has slammed nine hundreds and 10 fifties versus them, with the best score of 218. In England, Root has gone past 1,500 runs versus India (1,574) at 74.95. In India, he has scored 952 runs at 52.10. Seven of his centuries have come at home.
Root's Test career in numbers
Root is the 12th-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, having amassed a tally of 10,458 at 50.76. He has 28 centuries and 54 fifties. By scoring an unbeaten 142, he equaled the likes of Hashim Amla and Michael Clarke in terms of Test tons. Root is only the second Englishman to notch 10,000-plus Test runs after Alastair Cook, who scored 12,472.
Root is closing in on Ponting's runs tally versus India
With nine centuries against India, Root now has the highest number by any player, surpassing eight each for Gary Sobers, Viv Richards, Ricky Ponting, and Steven Smith. In terms of runs against India, Root is only behind Ponting's tally of 2,555 runs.
Root is the top scorer in WTC 2021-23 cycle
In the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle, Root has scored the most number of runs. He has a tally of 1,744 runs at an average of 64.59. He has hammered eight tons and five half-centuries. He has the most number of fours (201).
