Joe Root surpasses Brian Lara in quest to break Sachin Tendulkar's historic record for most Test runs

England Test batter Joe Root has now gone past Brian Lara in the top-scorers list in Test cricket. He is now closing in on Sachin Tendulkar in the elite list.

Root scored an unbeaten fifty on day 2 to get close to 12000 Test runs. He is only behind names like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Rahul, Dravid, Alastair Cook and Kumar Sangakkara.

First on the list who Root can take over is Kumar Sangakkara with 12400 runs. He is not far away from overtaking Alastair Cook as well with 12472 runs. Thus another 500-odd runs in the format and he can get past two more legends.

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Joe Root Closing In On Sachin Tendulkar

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West Indies after being put into bat first scored 282 as their lower-ordered showed some resistance. From 115/6 through Jason Holder (59) and Joshua De Silva (49) they scored 282. Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph played a few cameos as well.

They took three quick wickets of the opposition as they left them tottering for 38/3 at stumps on day 1. England on day two scored 120 more runs through Root's unbeaten fifty and skipper Ben Stokes eventually getting past his fifty as well. On day two, Ollie Pope (10) and Harry Brook (2) were the two England batters dismissed.

Jayden Seals took two and Alzarri Joseph one on day one. On day two, first Shamar Joseph dismissed Ollie Pope and the Seals came back to dismiss Harry Brook. From 54/5, Root and Stokes are nearing a partnership of 100 runs as they have weathered the storm from the Windies pacers.

This has been the best bowling performance by the West Indies bowlers where they have challenged the England batters. England still trail by over 100 runs and this is the chance for the West Indies batters to bowl them out cheaply.

Talking about Joe Root, he has already equaled Steve Smith and Kane Williamson with 32 Test tons and he is eying to equal Cook, the former England skipper. He is the leading run-getter for England in this current squad and will very soon become England's leading run-scorer overall in Test cricket. With the Ashes 2025 coming up, England will need Root to be at his best and he will be aiming to score at least 500 runs in the series.

England have already won the Test series against West Indies winning the first two Test matches. They won the first Test by an innings and 114 runs and the second by 242 runs. West Indies chasing 385 to win, were bowled out for less than 150.

England have moved up to the sixth position on the WTC points table having won the series. West Indies have slumped back to the tenth position.

England now have 45 points from 12 Test matches with five wins and six losses with a PCT of 31.25. West Indies, on the other hand, lost another Test series to England in England. The Windies now have just one win from six Test matches and a PCT of 22.22.

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