England’s illustrious cricketer Joe Root has once again etched his name in the annals of cricket history. Root, renowned for his masterful batting performances, has been on an extraordinary run, leading his team through a triumphant home series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies. Root’s impressive streak has not only boosted England’s Test rankings but also positioned him among cricket’s all-time greats.
Emerging as England’s Player of the Series after a hard-fought 2-1 Test series triumph over Sri Lanka, Root has demonstrated why he is considered one of the finest batsmen of his generation. The 33-year-old former England captain captivated fans and critics alike with his batting prowess, amassing a staggering 666 runs in six Tests throughout the home summer.
Root’s outstanding performance includes three centuries, solidifying his status as a run-machine. His unyielding resilience at the crease during the summer fixtures has enabled him to surpass cricketing legends with remarkable ease. This scintillating form earned him not only the Player of the Series accolade but also the coveted title of Player of the Summer.
One of the most significant milestones achieved by Root during this series is surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in terms of Player of the Series honors in Test cricket. With his sixth such award, Root has now edged ahead of Tendulkar, a testament to his consistent excellence on the international stage. Root now stands alone as England’s most decorated player in terms of Player of the Series accolades, having outstripped the records held by England greats such as Graham Gooch, Andrew Strauss, and James Anderson.
Globally, Root’s achievements place him sixth on the list of players with the most Player of the Series awards in Test cricket. This prestigious list is led by Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan, who boasts an unmatched 11 awards, followed by Ravichandran Ashwin with 10, and Jacques Kallis with nine. Root shares the sixth spot with other cricketing luminaries like Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, and Steve Waugh, each with six awards.
The list of the most Player of the Series awards in Test cricket stands as follows:
1. Muttiah Muralitharan: 11 awards
2.
. Ravichandran Ashwin: 10 awards
3. Jacques Kallis: 9 awards
4. Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee, Shane Warne: 8 awards each
5. Wasim Akram, Shivnarine Chanderpaul: 7 awards each
6. Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Steve Waugh, Joe Root: 6 awards each
Root’s exceptional form has not only earned him individual accolades but has also significantly upped his tally in the record books. By the end of these series, Root had accumulated a total of 11,736 runs and 31 centuries in Test cricket. His prolific scoring has allowed him to leapfrog past several cricketing legends in the all-time run-scoring charts. He has surpassed the likes of Mahela Jayawardene (11,814), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (11,867), Brian Lara (11,953), and Kumar Sangakkara (12,400), securing his position at the sixth spot with an astonishing 12,402 runs.
His accomplishments don’t end there. In terms of Test centuries, Root has also eclipsed some of the most iconic names in cricket. He has now moved past Steve Waugh, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson, who each have 32 centuries, allying him higher on the list. Additionally, he has left behind England’s prolific scorer Alastair Cook, who has 33 Test centuries. Root’s record now stands at an impressive 34 Test centuries, further cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s true greats.
Joe Root’s remarkable journey continues to inspire not only his teammates but also cricket enthusiasts around the world. As he progresses, every innings, every run, and every accolade adds yet another chapter to his illustrious career. England, under Root’s bat, looks poised not just for victories but for the setting of records which might remain unbroken for years to come.
