Joe Root weighs in on pursuit of Tendulkar’s all-time Test record

Veteran England batter Joe Root has shared his thoughts about pursuing former India batter Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time Test record.

The right-handed batter surpassed India’s Rahul Dravid, South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and Australia’s Ricky Ponting all in one innings to become the second-highest Test run-getter during the fourth India vs England Test on Friday.

The 34-year-old is just behind former India batter Sachin Tendulkar, who has 15,291 Test runs, while Root’s tally stands at 13,409.

As much as fans want Joe Root to pursue the all-time Test record, the former England captain has said that he would not be giving too much thought to it going forward.

“It’s not something that I will focus on,” he said when asked about Tendulkar’s record.

Read more: Root jumps three spots to become the second-highest run-getter in Tests

“Those sorts of things should look after themselves. The focus has to be about winning games,” the England batter said after his record-shattering knock in the first innings of the fourth India vs England Test.

Recalling his experience playing against Sachin Tendulkar during England’s tour of India in 2012, Joe Root said, “He made his Test debut before I was born. To be playing on the same ground as him and to get the chance to play against him was incredibly cool.”

He added, “[He was] someone you grew up watching, admiring, trying to learn from. To get to play in a series where he was still playing was really quite a memorable experience that I’ll never forget.”

It is worth noting here that Root’s 38th Test century in the fourth India vs England Test also drew him level with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara in fourth place on the list of most hundreds in a Test career.