Only Sachin Tendulkar sits ahead on 15,921. That figure still carries weight, but it now sits in view more often. It follows every innings, every time Root walks out.
England have leaned on him through constant change. Batting orders have shifted, captains have come and gone, and demands on top-order players have increased. In the second Test against New Zealand, he has stepped back into a leadership role as stand-in captain after Ben Stokes was stood down following a breach of team protocol, adding another layer of responsibility to a familiar setting. Through it all, Root keeps delivering.
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There is less Test cricket in the modern game. Schedules are packed, rotation is common, and franchise commitments pull at availability. Even so, he remains one of the leading run scorers in world cricket.
The maths is clear. A couple of strong years brings him into range. Another pushes him past it. But nothing here is guaranteed. Fitness matters. Selection matters. England’s direction matters.
Tendulkar’s record sits in a different context. More Tests, longer series, a different rhythm to international cricket over two decades at the top. That comparison matters when the numbers are placed side by side.
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What stands out is the level he keeps reaching. When England need a response, he is the reference point. He scores in all conditions, against all attacks, in every phase of his career.
If he gets there, it will feel like the final stage of a career that has long been moving in that direction.
You look up, and Joe Root’s on 14,000 Test runs. pic.twitter.com/6VRBYDNLRB
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 20, 2026
Photo: Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
