Root rising: England star surpasses Ponting, eyes Tendulkar’s Test record

The Indian icon retired in 2013 with 15,921 runs from 200 Tests, a peak that has stood unchallenged for over a decade. But the elegant Englishman, aged 34, is now within touching distance — just 2,662 runs away — and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Since relinquishing England’s Test captaincy in 2022, Root has enjoyed a prolific second wind. He has scored 3,878 runs in 45 Tests since the start of that year, including several match-defining centuries. In his last 60 Tests, his average hovers around 93 runs per match. At that pace, he would need around 28 more Tests to surpass Tendulkar — well within reach in the next two to three years if he stays fit.

Root, who began his first-class career quietly with Yorkshire in 2010, made his Test debut in India two years later, scoring a gritty 73 in Nagpur. Since then, the runs have flowed across continents — with the notable exception of Australia, where he is yet to score a century.

As captain, he led England in a record 64 Tests, scoring heavily even as the team faltered. In 2021, he amassed 1,708 runs at 61 — earning the ICC’s Test Cricketer of the Year honour. Since stepping down, he has flourished under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, adapting Bazball to suit his own classical style.

From playing on the pitch to analysing it from the press box, Satish has spent over three decades living and breathing sport. A cricketer-turned-journalist, he has covered three Cricket World Cups, the 2025 Champions Trophy, countless IPL seasons, F1 races, horse racing classics, and tennis in Dubai. Cricket is his home ground, but he sees himself as an all-rounder - breaking stories, building pages, going live on podcasts, and interviewing legends across every corner of the sporting world. Satish started on the back pages, and earned his way to the front, now leading the sports team at Gulf News, where he has spent 25 years navigating the fast-evolving game of journalism. Whether it’s a Super-Over thriller or a behind-the-scenes story, he aims to bring insight, energy, and a fan’s heart to every piece. Because like sport, journalism is about showing up, learning every day, and giving it everything.

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