"One of the modern-day greats" - Mel Jones, Ian Bishop hail Joe Root for completing 12000 Test runs

Former cricketers Mel Jones and Ian Bishop hailed Joe Root for his yet another outstanding achievement in Test cricket. Root became the 7th batter to cross the 12000-run mark in Test cricket when he scored 87 runs in England's first innings of the third Test against West Indies.

During his knock, Root also surpassed Brian Lara in the list of highest run-scorers in Tests. Regarded as one of the best batters of this generation, Root has been excellent throughout his international career, especially in Test cricket.

Among the current set of batters, Root is already the highest run-getter in Tests. The England batter has scored 12027 runs in 143 Tests so far at an average of 50.11. The 33-year-old has scored 32 hundreds and 63 fifties in his Test career so far.

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Also read: Rishabh Pant becomes second-fastest Indian to achieve this major milestone, only behind Suryakumar Yadav in elite list

Mel Jones and Ian Bishop hail Joe Root's great achievement

Former Australian batter Mel Jones and former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop hailed Joe Root for crossing 12000 runs in Test cricket. Jones reckoned that Root would be very proud of his achievement whenever he retires from the game.

"Root as I mentioned 87 runs, passes 12000 runs. At the moment when he is probably playing, it's just another run, no difference to 11999. But once he is retired and sits back, he will look back at that moment here today and say 'it's pretty impressive, I'm pretty proud of myself and so he should be. He is almost getting better," Mel Jones said during a discussion on Sky Sports.

"One of the modern greats"

Ian Bishop & Mel Jones discuss Joe Root passing 12,000 Test runs 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rUoWaemFyX

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 27, 2024

Fortunate to see one of the modern greats - Ian Bishop on Joe Root

Ian Bishop agreed with Mel Jones and added that Root is still hungry for runs. He remembered the time when Root wasn't able to convert his scores into hundreds but claimed that the batter came out of that period well. Bishop also called Root one of the modern greats of the game.

"Absolutely. He seems to be very driven and he is 33. He is hungry and always looking to improve. So who knows where he is going to end up. He has been excellent," Bishop said.

"He had the little experience a few years ago where he was getting the fifties but not getting the hundreds. He got through for about year and a half and it's gone up to another level. So, I think we are very fortunate to be watching perhaps one of the guys who will be considered as one of the modern greats," he added.

Along with being a great Test cricketer, Joe Root is also a fine ODI cricketer as well.  He has scored 6522 runs in 171 ODIs at an average of 47.60 and a strike rate of 86.77. Root was also a part of England's historic 2019 ODI World Cup-winning team.