3 min readSep 10, 2026 10:21 AM IST
Root is still 1705 runs away from Tendulkar, who recorded 15,921 runs in 329 innings in his 24-year career at a 53.78 average. (AP/File)Despite enduring a lean run in recent games, England captain Joe Root has received firm backing from legendary West Indies batter Vivian Richards to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record Test runs.
Root, who took over for a second stint as Test captain from Ben Stokes, on Wednesday became the third-highest-capped Test player, only behind Tendulkar (200) and James Anderson (188). Root, featuring in his 169th Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston, surpassed Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh.
Richards, who had ended his Test career in 1991 as the then highest run-scorer for the West Indies with 8540 at 50.23, said regaining the captaincy will help Root push for the landmark.