Joe Root surpassed legendary Brian Lara's Test runs tally during his fighting knock in the ongoing third Test match against West Indies in Birmingham on Saturday, July 27. The English veteran went past Brian Lara after scoring just 14 runs and also completed 12,000 runs in red-ball cricket during England's first innings on Day 2 at Edgbaston.
England resumed their game on Day 2 but struggled for a good start with Harry Brook and Ollie Brook falling early in the first session. But Root and skipper Ben Stokes recovered England's innings with an unbeaten 103-run stand for the sixth wicket to take the total wot 157/5 before lunch break.
Root scored 58* off 81 balls while Stokes added quick 48* runs to stage England's brilliant comeback. England are trailing by 125 runs before the start of the second session and look to take a lead on Day 2 with Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes still come to bat.
Most runs in Test cricket
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 15,921 runs in 329 innings
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 13,378 runs in 287 innings
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa) - 13, 289 runs in 280 innings
- Rahul Dravid (India) - 13,288 runs in 286 innings
- Alastair Cook (England) - 12,472 runs in 291 innings
- Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) - 12,400 runs in 233 innings
- Joe Root (England) - 12,023 runs in 261 innings
- Brian Lara (West Indies) - 11,953 runs in 232 innings
England lost Ben Stokes early in the second session who scored 54 runs off just 69 balls but Root kept the hammering on with another crucial stand with Jamie Smith. Root reached the 12,000-run mark after scoring 60 and was batting on 84* off 120 balls at the end of 47 overs.
Root became the only second English player after the former skipper Alastair Cook to record 12,000 runs in Test cricket.
