Joe Root has truly cemented his place as a great in modern Test cricket. The England superstar is his country’s top-scoring batsman in the longest format and is only behind the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in the global list. Time and again, Root is asked about the prospect of overtaking Tendulkar in the list of top-scoring batsmen in Test cricket. While Root tries to evade this tricky question, as much as he can, this time, he caved in. While there’s no doubting Root aspires to break Tendulkar’s record, he also acknowledges the fact that the Master Blaster is a true great of the game.
“Well, I get asked it enough times now that I can’t really ignore it even if I try to,” he said during a chat with The Athletic.
Root couldn’t stop praising Tendulkar for what he went on to achieve in his career, not just in Tests but ODI cricket too.
“It’s remarkable what Sachin Tendulkar achieved in the game. You have to believe me when I say that to even be in the conversation with him is enough for me. The guy made his Test debut before I was born and played in my Test debut! His longevity in itself is remarkable and then you look at the runs he got in Test cricket… but not only that, he’s got 50 ODI hundreds, too,” he said.
Root also acknowledged how difficult it becomes to continue the level of performance after you understand that there’s always a spotlight on you.
“All the while he was the most famous man in India. Serious, serious player,” he said.
While there’s no doubting Root’s ability and the fact that he might as well go on to break Tendulkar’s record, he didn’t hesitate in acknowledging the focus and belief he requires to surpass the all-time great from India.
“I’m always looking to evolve, to try and add things to my batting,” he said on his form. “To make sure that I feel as compact and as technically sound as I can be so that when the actual games come around I can think tactically and play what’s right in front of me rather than worrying about technical stuff or anything else out in the middle. It sounds so simple but when I’m at the crease, I just want to be playing the game,” said the England stalwart.
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