Joe Root in focus: His Test record after Lord’s heroics

Analysis of Joe Root’s Test record

England batter Joe Root moved past 10,000 Test runs with a match-winning 115 not out against New Zealand.

He is only the second Englishman to the landmark, following Sir Alastair Cook, and here we look at Root’s record.

Chasing Cook

Root’s astonishing 2021, in which he scored 1,708 runs at an average of 61, lifted him from seventh to second in the list of all-time England Test run-scorers, passing Geoffrey Boycott, Kevin Pietersen, David Gower, Alec Stewart and finally Graham Gooch.

And while Cook’s final tally of 12,472 remains some way in the distance, Root’s progress to five figures provides a reminder that he is far from finished after handing over the captaincy to Ben Stokes.

His 26 centuries also rank second behind Cook (33) while Root’s average hovers around the 50 mark achieved by only eight England Test batters – Herbert Sutcliffe, Eddie Paynter, Ken Barrington, Wally Hammond, Sir Jack Hobbs, Sir Len Hutton, Ernest Tyldesley and Denis Compton. It is currently 49.57.

"One of England's all-time greats!" 👏

The moment Rooty reached his 26th Test century 🏏@Root66 | @IGCom pic.twitter.com/DBO9QKiurG

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 5, 2022

Back in the ranks