Ashes 2021/22: Joe Root achieves this monumental feat
What's the story
England captain Joe Root scripted a monumental record on Day 3 of the ongoing first Ashes Test at the Gabba. Root now has the most Test runs by an England batter in a calendar year. He broke the record of Michael Vaughan, who amassed 1,481 runs in 2002. Root also eclipsed his previous best tally of 1,477 runs (2016). Here are his key stats.
Context
Why does it matter?
Root is regarded as England's greatest batter of all time in Test cricket. He is the leading run-scorer in the format among active players. The English captain has been in sublime form of late, having shattered numerous records. Root is the leading run-scorer in Test cricket this year. In fact, he is the only batter with over 1,000 Test runs in 2021.
Record
First England batter with 1,500 Test runs in a year
Root has become the only English batter to have scored over 1,500 Test runs in a calendar year. As stated, he surpassed former England captain Vaughan, who racked up 1,481 runs in 2002. Interestingly, Root follows Vaughan on this tally. The former aggregated 1,477 Test runs in 2016. Root also smashed 1,385 runs in the format in 2015.
Runs
Most Test runs in 2021
Root is the highest run-scorer in Test cricket in the ongoing year. He has over 1,500 runs at a staggering average of 66. Root also owns the most number of hundreds (6) this year. The English captain is followed by Rohit Sharma (906), Dimuth Karunaratne (902), Rishabh Pant (706), and Abid Ali (695) in terms of Test runs (2021).
Captain
Root only behind these legends
Root now has the most Test runs by an England captain in a calendar year. He had eclipsed the tally of Alastair Cook (1,364 runs in 2015), who held this record previously. Only three other captains have scored more Test runs than Root in a calendar year (Graeme Smith: 1,656, Michael Clarke: 1,595, and Ricky Ponting: 1,544).
Do you know?
Root has six Test tons this year
Root (6) is only behind Ponting on the list of most Test centuries by a captain in a calendar year (7). Interestingly, no other English captain had struck more than four Test centuries in a single year before Root did so.