Joe Root Achieves 22,000 International Runs as England Claims Fourth Test Victory
Joe Root's Historic Milestone
In a remarkable achievement, Joe Root, the star batter from England, has become the ninth player in cricket history to surpass 22,000 international runs. He reached this milestone by scoring 15 runs during the second innings of the fourth Test match against Australia in the ongoing Ashes series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
With a total of 22,000 runs accumulated over 380 international matches, Root boasts an impressive batting average of 49.21. He joins an elite group of cricketers, including legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, Virat Kohli, Ricky Ponting, Mahela Jayawardene, Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid, and Brian Lara, who have scored more international runs.
Performance in the Ashes Series
Root, who had previously struggled to score a century in Australia, finally achieved this feat with an unbeaten 138 runs in the first innings of the second Test of the Ashes series in Brisbane. However, despite this century, he has only managed to accumulate 234 runs across four Tests in the series.
England's Consolation Win
Although England secured a victory in the recently concluded fourth Test, they have ultimately lost the series to Australia, with the scoreline standing at 3-1. In the Boxing Day Test, England triumphed over Australia by four wickets, marking their first win of the tour.
In this match, England chose to bowl first, and Josh Tongue's impressive five-wicket haul led to Australia being bowled out for just 152 runs. England faced a collapse, scoring only 110 runs and trailing by 42. Australia struggled again on a challenging pitch, managing only 132 runs in their second innings, which set England a target of 175 runs. Solid partnerships at the top of the order steadied England's chase, and despite a late scare, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith guided the team to a memorable four-wicket victory.
It's worth noting that Australia had previously dominated the series, winning the first three Tests and extending their unbeaten streak against England in Australia to 16 matches. England's win in the fourth Test has finally ended this run.