Joe Root has been spectacular in Test cricket, well throughout but in the last couple of years, especially with the former England captain going into overdrive mode. With 36 centuries and closing in on 13,000 runs in Test cricket, Root has already become England’s greatest red-ball player and is at that stage of his career where with every innings he is breaking some or the other record. On Sunday, December 15, Root might have scored just 32 during England’s first batting innings against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Day 2 of the third Test but he managed to script history.
Root required nine runs before the start of his innings to become the leading run-getter for visiting batters in Tests in New Zealand. Root ended up scoring 32 off 42 and surpassed Javed Miandad’s feat. Root now has 952 runs to his name in New Zealand in 21 innings and has an opportunity to become the first one in history to amass 1,000 Test runs in the country. Former Pakistan captain Miandad is second on the list with 928 Test runs to his name in New Zealand in just 14 innings.
Most runs by a visiting batter in Tests in New Zealand
Joe Root (England) – 952 runs (in 21 innings) at 50.10 ave
Javed Miandad (Javed Miandad) – 928 runs (in 14 innings) at 77.33 ave
Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 842 runs (in 18 innings) at 49.52 ave
Greg Chappell (Australia) – 786 runs (in 13 innings) at 71.45 ave
Rahul Dravid (India) – 766 runs (in 14 innings) at 63.83 ave
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Apart from Root and probably the skipper Ben Stokes, no other English batter offered much resistance as the visitors were folded for 143. The series finale is almost panning out in complete contrast to the first two Tests where New Zealand were the one to concede the lead on both occasions.
After adding 32 runs for the final wicket to their overnight score, New Zealand managed to take a massive 204-run lead in the first innings and found themselves in the driver’s seat to avoid a clean sweep and end their WTC 2023-25 cycle on a high while giving senior pacer Tim Southee a winning farewell.
