Joe Root will break Sachin Tendulkar's record and score 18,000 test runs, feels Monty Panesar

Joe Root is currently the second highest run-scorer in test cricket with 13543 runs.

Former England spinner Monty Panesar has made a bold claim that Joe Root will surpass Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-scorer in test cricket. Indian legend Tendulkar is the all-time highest run-scorer in test cricket with 15,921 runs in 200 games.

Root is currently the second-highest run-scorer in test cricket with 13,543 runs in 158 games at an average of 51.29. The 34-year-old is 2,378 runs away from breaking Tendulkar’s record for most test runs. During the recently-concluded five-match test series against India, he leapfrogged Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting to become second-highest run-scorer in test cricket.

Root has been in exceptional form in test cricket since 2021. With more than 6000 runs, the England batter is the leading run-scorer in ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history. Since 2023, he has maintained a batting average of over 50 in test cricket.

Joe Root will break Sachin Tendulkar’s record: Monty Panesar

While speaking to Hindustan Times, Panesar shared his opinions on the possibility of Root surpassing Tendulkar as the highest run-scorer in test cricket. Panesar feels that Root will break Tendulkar’s record and end up with 18,000 test runs in his career.

“He’ll break it, and he’ll go past it. I think he’ll end up scoring 18,000 test runs. Because he’s only 34, right? He’s 34, he’s got another 6 years. In 6 years, he’ll probably score another 4,000-5,000 Test runs,” he said.

“So, Tendulkar played until 40, so he’ll probably end up playing until 40. He’ll break that, and he’ll go past it. I think he’ll end up scoring 18,000 test runs,” he added.

Root showed a wonderful form in the recently-concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. With 537 runs across five games, he ended as the second highest run-scorer of the series after Shubman Gill. At an average of 67.12, the right-handed batsman slammed three centuries and one half-century in the series.

During the fifth test between India and England at The Oval, he slammed his 39th century in test cricket to surpass Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara in the list of batters with most test centuries.

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