Ricky Ponting backs Joe Root to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record in Test cricket

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels England batter Joe Root can break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of the most runs in the Test cricket.

Root,33, is currently sits at the seventh place with 12,027 runs in 143 Tests. Meanwhile, Sachin Tendulkar leads the chart with 15,921 runs from 200 Tests.

“He (Root) could potentially do that,” Ponting said in the ICC review.

“He is 33 years of age…(more than) 3000 runs behind. It depends on how many Test matches they play, but if they’re playing 10 to 14 Test matches a year, and if you’re scoring 800 to 1,000 runs a year, then that sort of says he’s only three or four years off getting there. So that’ll take him to 37 (years of age),” said Ponting, who is second behind Sachin Tendulkar with 13,378 runs from 168 Tests.

Ponting pointed out that with age on his side if the England batsman will continue his hunger for the runs, he might eventually break Sachin Tendulkar’s record.

“If his hunger’s still there, then there’s every chance that he could do it. He is someone that, in the last couple of years, has gotten better and better,” Ponting said.

“There’s always talk around batters reaching their prime in their early 30s and he’s certainly done that. It’s been his conversion rates being the big thing.

“Four or five years ago, he was making a lot of 50s and struggling to go on and make hundreds and he’s gone the other way recently,” he said.

“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.”

England will play a three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting from August 21 at Manchester.

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