During his knock of 120* against India in the fourth Test, Root surpassed Australia’s Ricky Ponting (13,378 runs), pushing his tally to 13,379.
The former England captain came to the crease in the 39th over with his team on 197/2 chasing 358 and played a stabilizing role across Day 2 and Day 3. His landmark moment came in the 101st over when he overtook Ponting, having earlier passed Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis in quick succession.
With this innings, Root also notched up his 38th Test century — his second of the series — equalling Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara. Only Ponting (41), Kallis (45), and Tendulkar (51) have more.
To top it off, Root crossed 1000 Test runs at Old Trafford, continuing his dominance at the venue and putting England in a commanding position.
Top 5 Highest Run-Scorers in Test Cricket
Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 15,921 runs
Joe Root (England) – 13,379* runs
Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 13,378 runs
Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 13,289 runs
Rahul Dravid (India) – 13,288 runs
