Star England batter Joe Root created ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history on Day 4 of the fifth Test against India at the Oval. During England’s run chase, Root became the first-ever batter to score 6000 runs in WTC history .
Playing his 69th Test, Root is the leading run-getter in WTC, having featured in all four editions of the tournament so far.
With 20 centuries and 22 half-centuries, Root averages over 52, and is followed by Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben Stokes and Travis Head in the top-five of the WTC charts.
Most Runs In World Test Championship
Batter Matches Runs
Joe Root 69* 6000*
Steve Smith 55 4278
Marnus Labuschagne 53 4225
Ben Stokes 57 3616
Travis Head 52 3300
Notably, the former England skipper has been on a milestone-achieving spree during the ongoing five-Test series against India. In Manchester, Root had overtaken Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-getter in Men’s Tests.
The seasoned England batter slammed his 39th Test century in the ongoing Oval Test and jumped to the fourth spot in the tally for most centuries in the longest format of the game.
Most Hundreds In Test Cricket
51 – Sachin Tendulkar (IND)
45 – Jacques Kallis (SA)
41 – Ricky Ponting (AUS)
39 – Joe Root (ENG)*
38 – Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
The 34-year-old also has the most catches as an outfield player in the longest format, a tally he topped during the ongoing series against India. Root’s form with the bat holds England in good stead as they continue to embark on a big chase against India with the five-Test series on the line.
Hosts England currently lead 2-1 in the five-match Test series, following memorable wins at Headingley and Lord’s.
