When the hosts begin their three-Test series against Pakistan at Headingley, Joe Root will take over as captain of England for the first time since Ben Stokes departed. There is greater significance to the event because Root has to hit just 79 more runs at home to surpass Ricky Ponting’s record for the most Test runs scored at home.
In 87 home Test matches, Joe Root has amassed 7,500 runs across 153 innings. Ponting’s total from 92 Test matches played in Australia is 7,578 runs from 154 innings. Root would surpass the legendary Australian player at the top of the all-time home Test run-scoring list if he scored 79 or more in the series opener at Headingley.
Joe Root is in a position to break one of the most enduring records in Test cricket when he leads England at his home field in Leeds, where he is familiar with the conditions.
In terms of all-time home Test run scorers, where does Joe Root stand?
With just 78 runs separating him from the top place, Joe Root is presently ranked second among home Test run scorers. The company he keeps is demonstrated by the complete top five. With 7,578 runs in 92 Tests, Ponting is ahead, followed by Root with 7,500 in 87 Tests. With 7,216 runs in 94 Tests, Sachin Tendulkar is ranked third; Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka is ranked fourth with 7,167 runs in 81 Tests; and Jacques Kallis of South Africa completes the top five with 7,035 runs in 88 Tests.
Root’s exceptional consistency on home soil throughout his Test career is demonstrated by the fact that he has attained his present total in less Tests than Ponting, Tendulkar, and Kallis. To reach 7,167 runs, Jayawardene needed 81 home Tests; Root has now easily eclipsed that total in six more Tests.
What does England’s new chapter stand to gain from the Pakistan series?
With Stokes stepping down as captain, England’s three-Test series against Pakistan marks the beginning of a new chapter. One of the most seasoned hitters in the game’s history takes over as manager with Root’s return, and he does so at a stadium where he has long felt at ease.
Root has the perfect environment to chase Ponting’s record with the Headingley Test. If he scores the necessary 79 runs in the opening game, he will be the top run scorer in home Test cricket, a record that Ponting has held since the Australian’s retirement from international cricket. If the milestone is not achieved in the first Test, there are still two Tests left in the series.
