Manchester [UK], July 25 : Former England batter Michael Atherton hailed star batter Joe Root for becoming the second-highest Test run-getter of all time, overtaking Australia's Ricky Ponting, saying that it has been a privilege "seeing his career unfold" and knocking off several milestones one by one.
Root continued his history-making ways, going past Australian legend Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-getter of all time in Test cricket history.Root accomplished this feat during the third day of the fourth Manchester Test against India. At the end of the second session, the veteran batter was unbeaten at 121* in 201 balls, with 13 fours. Before this Test, he needed 120 runs to overtake Ponting. Now, he stands just below legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar, who played 200 Tests, scoring 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78, with 51 centuries and 68 fifties.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Atherton said about Root, "It has been a privilege to watch him knock off those milestones."
"There was a lovely warm embrace with Stokes when he got his 38th hundred, and a self-conscious wave when he passed Kallis, Dravid and Tendulkar and then Ponting."
"It has also been a privilege to see his career unfold, starting when he walked out in Nagpur in 2012 and said, 'aye up' to Kevin Pietersen (referring to his Test debut against India when he scored 73 and 20*)," he continued.
'Athers' also noted that in the post-COVID era, Root has secured 21 Test tons and is getting on an average of 85 runs a Test.
"At that rate, he is going to need between 25-30 Tests to get to Sachin. At the rate England play them, which is about 12 or 13 a year, we are looking at somewhere between two and three years before he knocks the great man off his perch," he concluded.
In 168 Tests, Ponting scored 13,378 runs at an average of 51.85, with 41 centuries and 62 fifties. His best score was 257. Now, he has been pushed down to number three in all-time charts.
Now in 157 Tests, Root has scored 13,380 runs in 286 innings at an average of 51.26, with 38 centuries and 66 fifties. His best score is 262.
England finished the second session at 433/4, with Root (121*) and skipper Ben Stokes (36*) unbeaten. While Washington Sundar (2/30) attempted to pull things back in favour of India by removing Ollie Pope (71) and Harry Brook (3), Stokes and Root helped England to a healthy 75-run lead.