Ponting believes Root can surpass Tendulkar's Test runs tally
What's the story
Ricky Ponting, the former Australian cricket captain, has predicted that England's Joe Root could potentially surpass both his and Sachin Tendulkar's Test cricket runs tally.
Root recently scored his 12,000th Test run, making him the seventh highest run-scorer of all time.
The 33-year-old is now within 1,351 runs of Ponting (13,378) and less than 4,000 runs behind Tendulkar (15,921).
Here are further details.
Future prospects
Ponting's prediction on Root's potential
Ponting expressed his belief in Root's potential to surpass Tendulkar's record during a recent episode of The ICC Review.
He stated, "He could potentially do that," referring to Root overtaking Tendulkar's impressive run tally in Test cricket.
Ponting further explained that if England continue to play 10-14 Test matches annually and Root maintains his current scoring rate of 800-1,000 runs per year, he could reach the milestone within three or four years.
Scoring prowess
Root's recent performance and future prospects
Root recently scored his 32nd Test century against the West Indies, marking the fourth time he has reached triple figures since last year.
Despite being far behind Tendulkar's record of 51 Test centuries, Ponting highlighted Root's improved ability to convert good starts into big scores.
"Almost every time he gets to 50 now, he goes on and makes a big hundred. So that's been the real turnaround for him," Ponting said.
12,000
Root became second-fastest to 12,000 Test runs
Root completed 12,000 runs in Test cricket. He accomplished the milestone with his 60th run in the 3rd Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Root became the second Englishman after Alastair Cook to touch the 12,000-run mark.
Root became the second-fastest batter to complete 12,000 runs in Test cricket. He took 143 matches and 261 innings for the same. The England stalwart was behind Kumar Sangakkara, who reached 12,000 Test runs in 130 matches.
Numbers
Root averaged 72.75 in the series versus WI last month
Root played in all three matches in WI's 2024 tour of England. He accumulated 291 runs from four innings at an average of 72.75.
He hit one century and two fifties. Root started by slamming a 68-run knock in the first Test at Lord's.
He followed that up with scores of 14 and 122 at Trent Bridge. In the final Test, he hit 87.