Joe Root breaks silence on Sachin Tendulkar’s record chase: ‘I can’t ignore it’

Joe Root salutes Sachin Tendulkar (Image: X) England batsman Joe Root has paid tribute to Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar as he talks about the possibility of breaking the legendary batsman’s all-time record in the future.Widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer in Test cricket with a staggering 15,921 runs. The Indian legend achieved the milestone during an extraordinary international career that spanned 24 years from 1989 to 2013.Speaking to The Athletic, Joe Root, who is currently the second all-time run-scorer with 13,943 runs in Tests, admitted that talk of breaking Tendulkar’s record can no longer be ignored.“Well, I get asked about it so many times now that I really can’t ignore it, even if I try to,” Root said.The former England captain expressed immense admiration for Tendulkar’s incredible longevity and achievements across formats.“It’s remarkable what Sachin Tendulkar has achieved in the game. You have to believe me when I say that even being in a conversation with him is enough for me. The guy made his Test debut before I was born and played in my Test debut! His longevity alone is remarkable and then you look at the runs he’s scored in Test cricket…but not only that, he’s got 49 ODI hundreds as well,” he added. Despite approaching one of cricket’s most iconic milestones, Root insisted his focus is on continuous improvement rather than statistical achievements.“I’m always trying to develop, try and add things to my bat.“To make sure I felt as compact and as technically sound as possible, so when the actual games came up, I could think tactically and play what was right in front of me, rather than worry about the technical stuff or anything else in the middle. It sounds so simple, but when I’m at the crease, I just want to play the game,” he concluded. Among active cricketers, Joe Root is currently the strongest candidate to challenge this monumental record. Root’s sensational consistency in the longest format, especially since 2020, has taken him to second place in the all-time Test run charts. The England star is currently just 1,978 runs away from surpassing Tendulkar’s all-time record.