Joe Root Shines in Ashes 2025: Aiming for Tendulkar's Records
Joe Root's Stellar Performance in Australia
Joe Root, the former captain of England, is reportedly enjoying a remarkable tour during the Ashes 2025 series in Australia. Before the series began at the Optus Stadium in Perth, the 34-year-old had yet to score a century on Australian soil, having arrived in November.
This time, however, Root has turned the tables by achieving not one but two centuries in his fourth Ashes series. In his previous three tours to Australia, he struggled to convert promising starts into significant scores, failing to secure a century in 14 matches. The ongoing Ashes 2025, which will conclude after the current Sydney Test, has seen Root display moments of brilliance, scoring two crucial centuries amidst a series of lower scores.
Throughout the series, the seasoned batter has demonstrated resilience, producing strong innings while occasionally struggling for consistency, often supporting the middle order during challenging moments.
Breaking the Century Drought
Root ended his century drought in Australia during the Pink Ball Test at the Gabba, although it wasn't enough for England to clinch a victory, leaving them trailing 0-2 in the five-match series. Following inconsistent performances in the next five innings, where he scored 15, 19, 39, 0, and 15, Root rebounded with his second century of the series in Sydney.
Starting England's first innings at 211/3 on Day 2 of the Sydney Test, Root was batting at 72 off 103 balls, forming an unbeaten 154-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Harry Brook. The duo stabilized the batting until Brook's dismissal at 226/4, concluding a 169-run partnership. Root then anchored England's innings, completing his second century of the series in just 146 balls.
Achieving Milestones
With his 41st Test century, Root has now matched former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, becoming the batter with the third-most centuries in Test cricket history. Even after reaching his century, Root continued to contribute significantly to England's first-innings total, finishing with 150 runs off 226 balls.
His innings was a considerable threat to the Australian bowling attack, as he skillfully rotated the strike and capitalized on loose deliveries, frustrating the bowlers with his patience and timing until he was dismissed after scoring 160 runs off 242 balls, including 15 fours.
Root's crucial 94-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Jamie Smith (46) was vital for England, leading to a commanding first-innings total of 384 in 97.3 overs.
Chasing Tendulkar's Records
With his impressive 160-run innings, Root's Test aggregate now stands at 13,987 runs, reigniting interest in his pursuit of Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record of 15,921 runs. He is now just 1,934 runs away from breaking Tendulkar's all-time Test record, keeping fans and cricket analysts eagerly watching his every innings as he approaches this historic milestone.
Additionally, Root is also on track to challenge Tendulkar's record for the most Test centuries (51).
Sachin Tendulkar - 15,921 runs. Joe Root - 13,937 runs. The difference is 1,984 runs, with Root currently 35 years old.
The Road Ahead
Having accumulated 41 centuries in his nearly 14-year Test career, Root needs just 11 more to surpass Tendulkar's record of 51 centuries. Achieving this milestone would further solidify his status as one of the greatest batters in Test cricket history.
Root's pursuit of Tendulkar's double Test record is within reach, as he continues to add valuable runs in the final stages of the Ashes 2025, inching closer to the legendary former India captain's historic achievements.
Discussing Tendulkar's all-time Test runs record, Root is less than 2,000 runs away from rewriting cricket history, with 1,934 runs remaining to become the highest run-scorer in Test cricket. Currently 35, Root will turn 36 in December 2026, meaning he must maintain his fitness and form over the next few years to realistically chase and potentially surpass Tendulkar's monumental record.
From 2021 to 2025, Root has averaged 1,190 runs per Test calendar year, keeping him on track to challenge Tendulkar's record if he maintains this level of consistency. Assuming he has four years left to play, including 2026, Root needs to score approximately 484 runs per year to surpass Tendulkar's all-time Test runs record.
Moreover, Root is just 11 centuries away from breaking Tendulkar's record of 51 Test centuries. If he continues his current form and consistency, this goal seems achievable.
Since 2021, Root has scored 24 Test centuries, including one in the first innings of the Ashes series finale at the SCG, demonstrating that he remains a serious contender to chase down Tendulkar's records in both runs and centuries. Scoring 23 centuries in 65 Test matches from 2021 to 2025, averaging roughly a century every three innings, Root has proven to be a prolific run-scorer, keeping him on course to challenge Tendulkar's records.
In the coming years, Joe Root must stay fit and maintain consistent scoring to close in on Sachin Tendulkar's historic Test records, which have remained untouched since the Indian batting legend's retirement in 2013.