England captain and star batter Joe Root has surpassed Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar to become the player with the most half-centuries in Test cricket.
Root reached the milestone during England’s Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston, scoring an unbeaten 62. The half-century was the 69th of his Test career, taking him past Tendulkar’s tally of 68. Root achieved the feat in his 309th Test innings, while Tendulkar reached his 68 half-centuries in 329 innings.
West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul is third on the list with 66 Test half-centuries. Former Australia captain Allan Border and India legend Rahul Dravid are joint-fourth with 63 each, while another Australian great, Ricky Ponting, occupies fifth place with 62. Root’s latest achievement adds to an extraordinary Test career and places him among the leading contenders to break several of Tendulkar’s long-standing records.
Tendulkar remains the leading century-maker in Test cricket with 51 hundreds. South Africa’s Jacques Kallis follows with 45, while Root and Ponting are joint-third with 41 centuries each. Root is also closing in on Tendulkar’s record for the most Test runs. Tendulkar finished his career with 15,921 runs, while Root, 35, has moved into second place with 14,278 runs.
Ponting is third on the all-time list with 13,378 runs. Among active players, Australia’s Steve Smith is next with 10,920 runs, although he remains well behind Tendulkar’s record. With Root continuing to score heavily in Test cricket, the England star now has another historic milestone within sight as he attempts to challenge Tendulkar’s record of 15,921 Test runs.