If his hunger’s still there, then there’s every chance that he could do it – Ricky Ponting backs Joe Root to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s Test runs tally

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has backed Joe Root to overtake Sachin Tendulkar’s Test runs tally. The former Indian batter amassed 15921 runs in 200 Test matches at an impressive average of 53.79, including 51 centuries.

On the other hand, Joe Root scored his 32nd Test century against the West Indies in the second Test match at Trent Bridge, equalling Steven Smith and Kane Williamson’s tally of 32 Test hundreds. Root, 33, has scored 12027 runs in 143 Test matches at an average of 50.11. 

Thus, if Root can carry on in the same fashion, he will need another four years to leapfrog Sachin’s record. 

Root has all the experience under his belt and he has been performing consistently at the top level.

“He (Root) could potentially do that,” Ponting said in the ICC review.

“He is 33 years of age…(more than) 3000 runs behind. It depends on how many Test matches they play, but if they’re playing 10 to 14 Test matches a year, and if you’re scoring 800 to 1,000 runs a year, then that sort of says he’s only three or four years off getting there. So that’ll take him to 37 (years of age),” said Ponting, who is second behind Sachin Tendulkar with 13,378 runs from 168 Tests.

“If his hunger’s still there, then there’s every chance that he could do it. He is someone that, in the last couple of years, has gotten better and better,” Ponting said.

“There’s always talk around batters reaching their prime in their early 30s and he’s certainly done that. It’s been his conversion rates being the big thing.

“Four or five years ago, he was making a lot of 50s and struggling to go on and make hundreds and he’s gone the other way recently,” he said.

“Almost every time he gets to 50 now, he goes on and makes a big hundred. So that’s been the real turnaround for him.”

England will play a three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting from August 21 at Manchester.