Joe Root can really break Sachin Tendulkar's record for most runs in Test cricket, claims former England captain

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Joe Root has the potential to break Sachin Tendulkar's tally for most Test runs, former England captain Michael Vaughan has said after the star batter smashed a match-winning 32nd Test hundred against West Indies on Sunday, July 21.

The century on Day 4 of the second Test match helped Joe Root equal the number of Test hundreds hit by Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand's Kane Williamson. Root is just a hundred short of equalling Alastair Cook's record for most Test hundreds by an England batter.

During the course of the innings, Joe Root also became the eighth-highest run-scorer in the history of Test cricket. He went past the Test run tallies of Mahela Jayawardene and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Michael Vaughan has opined that Joe Root can become the highest all-time run-scorer in the history of Test cricket by breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record. Root requires another 532 runs to break Cook's record for most Test runs by an English batter.

"Joe Root will become England’s leading run-scorer in the next few months and is so special that he really could overtake Sachin Tendulkar eventually. With the bat generally they did not look reckless like they have in the past. They are scoring quickly, but it doesn’t look like their egos are taking over. They are just playing with good sense,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph

"As the rock, Root is obviously key to that, and I love that he kept the reverse-scoop in the locker until he was past 100 and England’s lead was massive," Vaughan added.

33-year-old Joe Root needs another 3,982 runs to break Sachin Tendulkar's record. The Indian legend scored 15921 runs in 200 Test matches at an average of 53.78. He smashed 51 Test hundreds in his career.

Joe Root, who mostly plays red-ball cricket for England, has scored 11940 runs in 142 Test matches at an average of 56.63. He needs 14 more runs to go past Brian Lara and become the seventh-highest run-scorer in history of Test cricket. The third and final Test between England and West Indies starts from Friday, July 26.