From being called up to the England test team and making his debut in 2012 at the age of 21, to now being England’s highest ever run scorer in test cricket, and scoring 36 test hundreds , the question that cricket fans are asking is will Joe Root overtake the great Sachin Tendulkar and become the highest run scorer in test cricket? Root is currently on 12972 runs and with a few years still left in him, there’s every chance he can.
36 hundreds and Counting
Joe Root’s numbers are quite frankly absurd, 36 test hundreds, 53 overall. Scoring nearly 13.000 runs at an average of 50. Since 2020 Root has scored 19 hundreds to go from 17 to 36, in comparison, Steve Smith only has scored 10 since 2020, same with Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli only has 3 since 2020. On the 9th of October, Joe Root overtook Sir Alistair Cook to become England’s highest test run scorer of all time, Root is now only behind India’s Rahul Dravid, South Africa’s Jaqques Kallis, Australia’s Ricky Ponting and obviously Sachin Tendulkar, Root is on his way to overtake Sachin within the next few years the rate Root is going. In 2024, Root scored 1556 runs in 2024, averaging nearly 56 and was nominated for the 2024 Sports Personality of the Year award finishing third, 2024 wasn’t even his best year in terms of runs scored, that being in 2021 when he scored a staggering 1700 runs.
The ability root has to run between wickets and pick up a couple of runs instead of one run, goes massively under the radar with Root, obviously his shot making is just different class altogether but his fitness and running between wickets is such a valuable part of his game that goes slightly unnoticed.
England’s Greatest Batsmen
Overtaking Sir Alistair Cook last year to become England’s leading run scorer of all time in test cricket, there is no doubt that Joe Root is England’s greatest batsmen. What makes Root so good isn’t just the volume of runs he scores, it’s how he gets his runs, it will get mentioned on commentary every time he plays about Root being on 8 and then you look up and he’s on 30, his running between wickets and rotating the strike is so impressive. Then you get onto the shots he can play, the ramp shot he has “trademarked” into his own, however he got out playing that shot away in India, and decided not to play it again until he got a hundred or got himself in, must have been so hard not to play that shot, but he decided just to play his own game which has helped him massively since that dismissal to Jasprit Bumrah in India at the start of 2025. It’s ridiculous how easy it makes it look and his ability to play spin is second to none.
In October 2024, Joe Root would score his highest test score, 262 from 375 balls in Pakistan and his sixth double century in test cricket, putting on the fourth highest partnership in test history (454) with fellow Yorkshiremen Harry Brook. During this innings, Root would overtake Sir Alistair Cook and become England’s all time leading run scorer in test cricket, his average in Asia is nearly 49 and away from home Root averages 46 with nearly 6000 runs.
With the Ashes coming up at the end of 2025, Joe Root would love a hundred down under, probably the only thing missing from his career, in 2021 there was so much pressure on Root, Root would be coming in at 10-2 regularly throughout the series and overall England got absolutely thrashed by the Aussies. This time with not being the captain, already less pressure on Root, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett hopefully see off the new ball and when Root comes in, the Aussie bowlers will be tiring.
What can stop Joe Root from breaking Sachin’s record?
With the amount of test cricket England play, Root could break Sachin’s record in around three years at the rate he is currently going. Obviously injuries and whether Root can stay fit will play a major part, Root hasn’t suffered many injuries or been out for a long time throughout his career, fingers crossed that stays the same for the rest of his career. The only question is, will Root be able to keep up his scoring rate for another three years so consistently, performing that well for a long period of time will eventually catch up with Root, but he won’t admit it out loud but deep down I reckon Root wants to break that record and will be determined to break it. The only thing that can stop him from breaking Sachin’s record is if he starts picking up injuries regularly, you can see Root playing for another 3-5 years, so one or two minor injuries hopefully won’t disrupt him.
Overall Opinion
For me personally, not only does Joe Root Break Sachin’s record, I think he’ll go past it with relative ease, the amount of test cricket that England play is one of the major reasons why I think Root will break Sachin’s record. With how England play nowadays with Bazball, certain games will see Root come in early with more time to bat, as said before, his injury record is basically none existent, he is a constant presence and very rarely misses a game. He will inevitably go through a patch where he doesn’t score runs as he would like as any batsmen goes through, however if them patches of form don’t last and he can carry on his form from the last couple of years, Sachin’s record will be in real trouble. If Root does go onto break Sachin’s record of 15,921 runs it would be one of the finest English sportsmen achievements if not the greatest, the longevity, the ability and the consistency, not even Sir Alistair Cook will come close to Root by the time he retires.
In this article, I compare Leeds United from last season to this season, to show what has changed for Leeds to be 4 points better off at this stage of the season as they were last season. From the signings Leeds made in the summer to the tweaks in tactics manager Daniel Farke has made this season that he might not of done in certain games last season.
Leeds last season fell heartbreakingly short at Wembley in May, losing 0-1 to Southampton in the championship play-off final, after getting a massive 90 points in the 46 game season, which in any other season would of seen Leeds get promoted. This defeat in the championship play-off final meant that Leeds would lose some key players. Leeds would end up losing Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray and Georginho Rutter last summer, the best player in the championship and the best young player in the championship last season.
Recruitment
Leeds United’s recruitment in the summer has turned out to be spot on, losing Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter and Archie Gray in one transfer window, Leeds seemed to have replaced the three of them really well. Summerville’s 30 goal contributions last season has been shared around this season among the front four which regularly rotates.
Leeds would sign Welsh centre back Joe Rodon on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur with the fee believed to be around £10 million. With Archie Gray leaving the club to go to Tottenham himself, Leeds signed goalkeeper Alex Cairns to fit the homegrown quota in the championship. Midfielder Joe Rothwell on loan from AFC Bournemouth was next through the door at Elland Road.
Leeds would then bring in full back Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United for a fee around £7.5 million, along with Belgium winger Largie Ramazani from Almeria for £11 Million, brought in to be Crysencio Summerville’s replacement. Leeds added another midfielder, bringing in Japanese international Ao Tanaka from Fortuna Dusseldorf for around £3million. Leeds brought in winger Manor Solomon on loan from Spurs and then concluded there transfer business by brining Swiss full back Isaac Schmidt as back up for Junior Firpo.
What makes Leeds better this season than last season?
The Standard of the championship this season has certainly helped Daniel Farke’s Leeds United this season, with the quality of the division nowhere near the level of last season with Leeds hitting 90 points and finishing third and settling for the play-offs. Leeds United have conceded 19 goals so far this season and that defensive record even with a few Illan Meslier mistakes in there is one of the reasons why Leeds United have been so good this season. Leeds have six clean sheets in a row and in the past four games haven’t conceded a single goal.
The reliance on Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter last season did play a part in why Leeds struggled in certain games towards the end of the season which saw Leeds United fall apart and had to settle for the play-offs picking up 8 points from the last 8 games. It did seem if Summerville or Rutter had a poor game so did Leeds and the creativity from Leeds went down massively. This season, goals and chances are coming from everywhere with zero reliance on a single player like last season. The front four of Piroe, James, Aaronson and Manor Solomon have all nearly 10 plus goal contributions with Ramazani and Gnonto on the bench coming on and scoring in games as well.
Leeds United a class above the rest of the championship
The past three championship games, Leeds United have gone up another level, starting with the 7-0 thrashing of Cardiff City, Leeds United have scored 13 goals in the last three games, Leeds have also scored 18 goals since the last time the Whites conceded a goal, and as said before that defensive solidarity is one of the main reasons why Leeds United are top of the league. Leeds beat Coventry away 0-2 and then just last night dispatched Tom Cleverley’s Watford at Vicarage Road 0-4. Games like Watford away last season, Leeds drew 2-2 and had to rely on a late Mateo Joseph equaliser, the difference is Leeds United just look a cut above the rest of the Championship now. Big games for Leeds to end February with Sunderland and Sheffield United back-to-back and West Brom, seven points from them three games and Leeds United will be getting closer and closer to getting promoted back to the premier league.
Just how good is this Leeds team?
This current Leeds United team is something special and one of the best the championship has ever seen. Leeds have the best goal difference in Europe with +47 above Bayern Munich and Arsenal currently. Defensively this Leeds side are so solid and hard to score against, a lot of talk about Burnley’s defensive record this season and rightly so but Leeds United this season have only conceded 19 goals and we are in February. Signing Joe Rodon permanently was massive for Leeds going forward, his partnership with Pascal Struijk is a massive reason as to why Leeds barley concede goals, and even when Struijk has been out injured like he has been recently, Rodon’s partnership with Ethan Ampadu is just as good. Leeds United’s attack for the Championship is ridiculously good, the ability to bring on Largie Ramazani and Wilfried Gnonto with 20 minutes to go shows the strength in depth Leeds have in attack .
Last Minute wins vs Sunderland and Sheffield United
This Leeds team simply doesn’t know when it’s beaten, further proved in the games on back to back Monday’s against Sunderland and Sheffield United. Going 1-0 down in both games and to score goals in the 90th minute in both shows the determination this Leeds side has to keep going, and I’m not sure whether Leeds win these games last season like they have this season. These two games proved that it’s very likely that Leeds United will get promoted back to the Premier League, just feels a sense of inevitability that Leeds United will score in games and even the few times recently they’ve gone behind teams will need more than one goal to beat this Leeds side. Felt like as soon as Firpo equalised against Sheffield United it was only a matter of time before Leeds went onto win the game, give Joel Piroe any space and he’ll punish you, 21 goal contributions for Piroe with 26 goal contributions from the Leeds wingers this season.
Summary
To summarise, this Leeds United side are one of the best the championship has ever seen. To bounce back from the Wembley heartbreak in May and to perform how they have done for majority of this season is so impressive. The recruitment spot on in every way, even signing Josuha Guilavogui on a free transfer when Gruev and Ampadu were out injured, his experience around the dressing room will be vital in the final games of the season. Leeds United are looking likely to not only get promoted but to win the Championship, 16 games unbeaten, winning all five league games in February, it seems Daniel Farke’s Leeds United will take some stopping.