Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Joe Root climbed to third place on the list of Test cricket’s most capped players after taking the field for England in the third Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston. The appearance saw Root break the three-way tie he had shared with former Australian captains Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh and inch closer towards another all-time record of Sachin Tendulkar. All three had previously played 168 Tests, but Root’s latest outing moved him ahead of the Australian greats and into sole possession of the third spot.
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ENG VS PAK 3RD TEST DAY 1 UPDATES
The landmark adds to an extraordinary Test career that has already placed Root among the format’s finest batters. Going into the Edgbaston Test, the England star had amassed 14,208 runs from 168 matches at an average of 50.38. His tally includes 41 centuries and 68 half-centuries, while his highest score stands at 262.
Root is already second on the all-time list of leading Test run-scorers and has only India’s Sachin Tendulkar ahead of him. Apart from his batting exploits, Root has also chipped in with 74 wickets through his part-time bowling.
Root is currently in his second stint as England captain, having previously led the side between 2017 and 2022 before returning to the role in 2026. He had registered one fifty in the opening two Tests against Pakistan and was yet to reach three figures in the series before arriving at Edgbaston.
Tendulkar remains comfortably at the top of the list for most Test appearances, having represented India in a record 200 matches during his international career from 1989 to 2013. No other cricketer has crossed the 200-Test mark.
Former England pace great James Anderson sits second with 188 appearances following his retirement in 2024. Root, meanwhile, now occupies third place, having moved clear of Ponting and Waugh as he continues to add to his remarkable Test legacy.
MOST APPEARANCES IN TESTS
- Sachin Tendulkar – India – 200 Tests – Retired (1989–2013)
- James Anderson – England – 188 Tests – Retired (2024)
- Joe Root – England – 169 Tests – Active (as of September 2026)
- Ricky Ponting – Australia – 168 Tests – Retired (1995–2012)
- Steve Waugh – Australia – 168 Tests – Retired (1985–2004)
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
