Joe Root, at 35, is Now Just One Fifty Away From Equaling Sachin Tendulkar’s Elite Record

Having already overtaken Ricky Ponting, England's Joe Root is now closing in on Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most career Test match runs.

Joe Root, at 35, is Now Just One Fifty Away From Equaling Sachin Tendulkar’s Elite Record

Joe Root is one half-century away from Sachin Tendulkar's tally of most fifties in Test cricket. (via Sports Tak)

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On a record-breaking spree, England batter Joe Root anchored the first innings of the final Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He is now just one step away from matching legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s elite record in the longest format of the game. 

Having already conceded the 2025-26 Ashes ‘Urn’ to Australia, England will be seeking redemption and a chance to conclude the five-match series with a 2-3 result in the fifth Test against the hosts. The Three Lions suffered three consecutive defeats, in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, before bouncing back to win the fourth Test in Melbourne, recording their maiden victory on Australian soil after 14 long years.

Opting to bat first in Sydney, England struggled early in the innings and was reduced to 57/3 after losing the wickets of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Jacob Bethell. Crawley was dismissed LBW by Michael Neser for 16 runs off 29 balls.

Duckett then lost his wicket to Mitchell Starc in the 12th over, and Bethell was soon caught behind off a delivery from Scott Boland. Harry Brook and Joe Root then rescued the England innings, forming a strong 154-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Root scored 72 runs off 103 balls, while Brook hit 78 runs off 92 deliveries. The two batsmen remained unbeaten at the end of the day’s play, helping England reach 211/3. He registered his second 50+ score in the ongoing Ashes, following a 139-run innings in Brisbane. The 35-year-old is now just one half-century away from equaling Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most fifties in Test cricket. Root has 67 half-centuries, just one short of Tendulkar’s 68.

Joe Root’s half-century also helped him go past Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s tally of 66 fifties, with the West Indies legend currently ranked third on the list. Additionally, the 35-year-old English batter, whose overall Test runs tally is currently 13,849 runs in 163 matches, including 67 fifties and 40 hundreds, is just 151 runs shy of becoming only the second batsman in history to reach 14,000 Test runs.

Meanwhile, for the final Test, England made one change to their playing XI, with fast bowler Matthew Potts replacing injured Gus Atkinson. The home side, on the other hand, replaced Jhye Richardson with all-rounder Beau Webster for the Sydney Test.

Chris Jordan predicts Joe Root will eventually eclipse Sachin Tendulkar in the longest format

England pacer Chris Jordan, in a recent conversation with Crictracker, predicted Joe Root to eventually surpass both Sachin Tendulkar’s career tally and his lasting legacy in Test cricket. He also addressed the Three Lions’ ‘Baz-Ball’ strategy, which has faced criticism for being flawed.

Chris Jordan on Joe Root
Chris Jordan predicted Joe Root to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s Test runs tally. (via Indian Express)

Jordan last played for England in a T20I against India in June 2024, after which he has struggled to make a place in the XI. The 37-year-old boasts significant numbers in the shortest format internationally, with 108 wickets in 95 T20Is at an average of 26.36, alongside 46 wickets in 35 ODIs. Jordan has had the chance to play alongside Joe Root and has also represented his country in eight Tests.

Speaking with high admiration for his former teammate Root, the right-arm pacer suggested that the veteran England batter’s mentality, determination, and constant drive to improve could elevate him to the status of the greatest Test batter of all time. Jordan believes Root could surpass Tendulkar’s record for the most runs, while pointing to Root’s recent feat of breaking the drought of a century in Australia.

Why not? I definitely think it’s possible. Just knowing Joe [Root] personally, his mentality, his drive, his want to always get better, to keep evolving is what’s kept him at this level for so long.

On ‘Baz-Ball’, Chris Jordan commented that the strategy has not failed. He highlighted that the Three Lions dominated the Australians at certain points during the ongoing 2025-26 Ashes, but were unable to sustain that dominance consistently.

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