IND vs ENG 5th Test: Joe Root Becomes First Batter to Score 6000 Runs in World Test Championship
England’s star batter Joe Root has made history by becoming the first player ever to score 6000 runs in the World Test Championship. Root, who was also the first to reach 5000 runs in the tournament, reached this big milestone during the second innings of the fifth Test match against India.
Before the fifth Test started, Joe Root needed 54 more runs to reach the milestone. He nearly got there in the first innings but was dismissed for 29 after a beauty of a delivery from Mohammed Siraj. That left him needing 25 more runs, which he managed to score in the second innings during the second session on Day 4.
Joe Root Rises to Second in All-Time Test Runs as England Fight Back at The Oval
Meanwhile, Joe Root is having an unforgettable series with the bat. He began the series as the fifth-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, but now he’s climbed up to second on the all-time list. In just one innings, he went past legends like Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting. Now, only Sachin Tendulkar has more Test runs than him.
Root and Harry Brook's partnership helped England stay strong while chasing the target against India at the Oval. England started the day at 50 for 1, still needing 324 runs to win. Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope handled the tough early overs well, but India fought back and got both of them out, leaving England at 106 for 3. After that, Root and Brook came together and didn’t let any more damage happen. They batted calmly and took England to lunch at 164 for 3.
Most Runs in World Test Championship (WTC) History
| Rank | Player | Runs | Matches Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Root | 6006 | 69 Tests* |
| 2 | Steve Smith | 4278 | 55 Tests |
| 3 | Marnus Labuschagne | 4225 | 53 Tests |
| 4 | Ben Stokes | 3616 | 57 Tests |
| 5 | Travis Head | 3300 | 52 Tests |
Most Times Scoring 500+ Runs in a Test Series vs India
| Rank | Player | Team | No. of Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Root | England | 3 * |
| 2 | Everton Weekes | West Indies | 2 |
| 2 | Zaheer Abbas | Pakistan | 2 |
| 2 | Younis Khan | Pakistan | 2 |
| 2 | Garry Sobers | West Indies | 2 |
| 2 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | 2 |
ALSO SEE: India's Upcoming Test, ODI, and T20I Match Schedule