Michael Vaughan believes Joe Root is on the verge of breaking one of the most legendary records in cricket. Root, the former England captain, is closing in on Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record for the most runs in Test cricket.
With about 3,500 runs left to surpass the Master Blaster, Root is well-positioned to take over. Vaughan thinks this would be great for Test cricket, even though the BCCI might not like seeing an English player at the top.
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Root, 33, is still going strong and continues to score centuries, making his dream of beating Tendulkar’s record more of a reality with each Test match.
Michael Vaughan expressed confidence in Joe Root’s ability to overtake Tendulkar. He highlighted that Root’s current form and passion for the game make it very likely.
“I think it’s three and a half thousand runs he trails by. He has at least three years. Unless his back snaps; he is the most enthusiastic lover of the game. I don’t think he is going to get away. He is no longer the captain and knows his game better than ever before. I’ll be amazed if he doesn’t. He has played beautifully,” said Vaughan.
Vaughan also made a bold statement, suggesting that the BCCI would not want an Englishman to hold the top spot and would prefer the record to stay with an Indian cricketer.
“If Joe goes past Sachin, it will be the best thing that ever happens to cricket, because there’s no way BCCI would want an England player at the top of the list. They’ll want an Indian at the top so that will secure Test match cricket because it’ll take forever for someone to get past him,” added Vaughan.
Among Indian players, Virat Kohli is the closest to Root, but it seems unlikely he will surpass him. Kohli, at 35, has scored 8,848 runs in 113 Tests, which is still a long way behind Root.
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While Kohli once led the pack of elite batters, a prolonged period of poor form over the last few years has left him trailing. Vaughan feels Kohli has missed his chance to chase Tendulkar’s record due to this dip in form.
While Root breaking Tendulkar’s record would be a historic achievement, Vaughan believes it will make the BCCI uncomfortable. Root is already in the final stretch of his run-scoring journey, and the next few years will determine whether he will claim one of the greatest records in cricket history.
