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Joe Root reached another major milestone in his remarkable Test career as he featured in his 169th Test match for England during the third Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston. The veteran batter moved past Australia's Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh on the list of players with the most Test appearances.
Joe Root's appearance also placed him third on the all-time list, with only former India batter Sachin Tendulkar and former England teammate James Anderson ahead of him. The milestone came as England looked to complete a dominant series after winning the first two Tests against Pakistan.
Joe Root surpasses Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh for most Test appearances
Root's 169th Test appearance moved him ahead of two Australian legends in the list of players who have featured in the most matches in the longest format. Tendulkar remains at the top with 200 Tests, while Anderson is second with 188. Root has now moved into third place with 169 appearances.
Ponting is next with 168 Tests, having represented Australia between 1995 and 2012. He was followed by Steve Waugh, who also played 168 Tests during his international career from 1985 to 2004.
Root's latest appearance is another reflection of his remarkable longevity with England. Having made his Test debut in 2012, he has established himself as one of the most consistent players of his generation and continues to play a central role in England's Test side.
With Anderson already retired from international cricket, Root now has Tendulkar and Anderson ahead of him in terms of Test appearances. His 169th Test also came at a time when England were looking to build further momentum after taking an unassailable lead in the series.
Joe Root explains England’s decision to bowl first
Root won the toss at Edgbaston and opted to bowl first, with the England captain pointing towards the overhead conditions and moisture around the pitch as factors behind the decision.
“We're going to bowl first, like the overhead conditions. It looks a very good pitch actually, but I feel if there's anything in it, a bit of moisture has been around the last couple of days, and cool weather set for the next couple of days, so don't see it cracking or deteriorating too quickly. I feel like that's the best chance of getting the most out of it.”
England went into the third Test with an unchanged XI despite already securing the series, with Joe Root explaining that the team wanted to continue building winning habits.
“No, we wanted to try and replicate what we've been doing. We've played two brilliant performances. We want to build towards continuing that and becoming a team that gets used to winning and doing it in a certain way, and this is an opportunity to do that.”
Joe Root talks about batting preparation ahead of third Test
Root also dismissed the idea that England were treating the third Test as an experiment, stressing that the team's primary objective remained winning the match.
“This isn't an experiment. This is about winning Test cricket matches, and that's exactly the opportunity that's presented ahead for the next five days. And it might look different than the two previous games. So it's can we be good enough to recognize what that looks like and how we're going to get the most out of it.”
Speaking about his own batting preparation, Joe Root said he had continued working hard despite a challenging summer for batters.
“Just been preparing hard as always. You're always thinking, you're always working on things. And as you mentioned, it's not like it's just been me. I think everyone's found it (wobble seam) quite tricky and challenging, and that's what keeps it fun and interesting, is you always wanting to bottom-edge yourself, find ways of scoring in different conditions when it's tough. And I've worked extremely hard, as I always do, ahead of this game.”
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