Joe Root finished as top run-scorer in WTC 2023-25: Stats
What's the story
The 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle concluded with South Africa winning their first ICC trophy in 27 years. The tournament witnessed several batters leaving a lasting impression, with England's Joe Root topping the run-scoring charts. Despite England not qualifying for the final, Root scored an impressive 1,968 runs in just 22 matches. Here we decode his stellar numbers in this cycle.
Tally
Root clocks nearly 2,000 runs
As per ESPNcricinfo, Root hammered 1,968 runs from just 40 innings at a sensational average of 54.67, He registered seven centuries in the span as no other batter could even record six tons. He also recorded seven fifties and his best Test score was also recorded in this cycle, 262 vs Pakistan in Multan. Root missed out on becoming the first batter to hammer 2,000 runs in a WTC cycle.
DYK
Root tops the chart yet again
This was the second successive cycle that saw Root top the run-scoring charts. The England great hammered 1,915 runs in the 2021-23 cycle. With 1,660 runs, Root was the second-highest run-getter in the inaugural WTC edition (2019-21). He finished marginally behind Australia's Marnus Labuschagne (1,675 runs). India's Yashasvi Jaiswal (1,798 runs in 2023-25) is the only other batter besides Root with 1,700-plus runs in a WTC edition.
Away games
Sensational numbers across all conditions
890 of Root's runs in the recent WTC edition came in away-from-home games at 46.84. Australia's Usman Khawaja (885) is the only other batter with 800-plus runs in this regard. Root also tallied the joint-most tons outside home (3). In England, he clocked 1,078 runs at 63.41. Jaiswal (1,091) is the only other batter with 900-plus runs at home. Root also scored the joint-most hundreds at home (4).
Highest score
The historic 262 vs Pakistan
As mentioned, Root made a career-best 262 against Pakistan in the Multan Test last year. This was the second-highest individual score of this cycle. Root is only behind his teammate Harry Brook, who clocked 317 runs in the same innings. Overall, Root's 262 holds the fourth place on the list of the highest individual scores in WTC history.
Feat
First batter to get this feat
In October last year, Root became the first batter to complete 5,000 runs in the WTC history. Having played 64 games, the veteran now boasts 5,543 runs an average of 51.80. He has slammed 21 half-centuries in addition to smashing 18 tons. Australian stars Labuschagne (4,225) and Steve Smith (4,151) are the only other batters with over 3,500 runs in the competition.