Joe Root, one of the best batters in the country, has had a spectacular summer thus far, amassing 666 runs in 10 innings. Many cricket enthusiasts have taken notice of his amazing form, and his touch has generated talk that he has a genuine chance of challenging, if not surpassing, the great Sachin Tendulkar in the record books for most runs scored in Test matches.
Ian Bell, a former England batsman, lauded Root’s style of play over the past year and even called him “England’s greatest batter,” whether or not he was able to surpass Sachin’s score.
He has performed extraordinarily well over the past 12 months. I don’t believe he is thinking too much about what is ahead. He’s simply experiencing life as it happens right now. It’s an incredible accomplishment for Joe to even consider getting this close. He will be remembered as the best batter in England. Whether he manages to reach Sachin or not is beyond question. Root, as cited by The Hindu, said, “To think that he can even get close to someone like Sachin, a real great of the game, someone that we’ve all admired growing up, as a hero to people and fans in India, but around the world.”
I make sure they watch as much Virat Kohli cricket as they can: Ian Bell
When asked who he believed had the best cover-drive among players in the current era, Bell—who was himself a graceful cover-driver of the cricket ball in his prime—answered. He also enumerated the many qualities in Virat Kohli that he finds admirable, and as a result, he forces his children to watch as much cricket as possible played by the popular Indian batsman.
Joe Root needs just 71 more runs to surpass Alastair Cook’s Test aggregate, the former captain of England
“It’s undeniably difficult to ignore Virat Kohli. Not just his cover-drive, but also his style of play, his motivation to bat, his desire to compete, and his approach to the game of cricket. It’s entertaining to see when he plays his cover drive in any kind of format. In the same conversation, Bell said, “You know, my kids who love cricket, I certainly get them watching as much cricket from Virat Kohli as possible.”
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Root will enter the top five on the elusive list if he surpasses Cook. Given that Root is only 33 years old, he should have another three to four years of Test cricket left in him. Seeing how far Root can get as time goes on will be interesting to see.