'He'll Overtake Sachin Tendulkar's World Record': Former ENG Cricketer's Big Prediction After Joe Root Hits 34th Test Hundred

Joe Root on Saturday created history by breaking the record for most Test tons by an England batter. Root scored the 34th Test century of his storied career in the ongoing 2nd Test against Sri Lanka at the Lord’s and overtook the earlier record of 33 hundreds set by England legend Alastair Cook. He also became the fourth player in history to score two centuries in a Test at the Lord’s after George Headley, Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan.

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Former England cricketer David Lloyd praised Root’s “effortless hundred” and pointed out a solid technique behind his sublime run in Test cricket in the past three years.  “That was a sublime, effortless hundred from Root,” Lloyd wrote in a column for then Daily Mail. “He’s one of those players where you look at the scoreboard and wonder how he’s got to 40. His strokeplay, footwork and head position are all in sync: it’s no accident he scores runs.”

Root has now taken his tally to 12377 runs from 145 Tests, breaking into the top-10 list of all-time run-getters in the format’s history. Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar is currently at the top of this list with 15921 runs from 200 Tests and Lloyd has predicted Root has “every chance” to surpass the world record.

“With the amount of Test cricket England play, and the skill he has, there’s every chance he’ll overtake Sachin Tendulkar’s world-record 15,921 runs,” Lloyd wrote.

Lloyd also touched upon England stand-in captain Ollie Pope’s struggles with the bat. He advised Pope to not try anything new and follow into the footsteps of Root.  “Ollie Pope is such a cultured player, but he’s trying to be something he isn’t. His dismissal in England’s second innings was another example of him trying to reinvent the wheel. Just do what Joe Root does, Ollie! Keep the board moving, look busy, pick off the ones and twos. Take stock of what you’re good at, and stop being so frenetic,” Lloyd wrote.

“I must confess, I’ve never really thought of Pope as a No 3, but this England team like a risk, don’t they? I wonder, though, if they’ll look at him and say an average of 34 from 48 Tests isn’t up to the mark,” he added.