(Cricket news): There are several records in cricket which look impossible to break even as time passes, many come close but are unable to better it. Mohammad Yousuf has held the record of most runs in a calendar year in Test matches, he scored a mammoth 1788 runs in 2006 and the feat has been unmatched ever since then. Michael Vaughan scored 1481 runs in the 2002 season and has been the highest by an English batsmen ever since.

Joe Root has scored 1455 runs in this year and still has four more Tests to play. He has scored 6 centuries this year that includes two double centuries and has been phenomenal in the ongoing series against India. He is the topscorer in the series with 564 runs in 7 innings and has single handedly held together the England batting department. He will look to break the 1500 runs barrier in a calendar year, a feat which only seven men have conquered. Root can join the elite list and bring more hope to the England batting side as the second highest run scorer is Rory Burns who has scored 479 runs this year.

Root fell just four runs short of Michael Vaughan’s record in 2016 when he scored 1477 runs and in the previous year scored 1385 runs. This year he is in his best form and if he can defy human limits just like he is doing now, even Yousuf’s record will be within touching distance. The England side will still play four more Tests this year and Root has time to break the world record. He only needs 26 more runs to break Vaughan’s record and will certainly finish this year as the leading run scorer as Rohit Sharma is a distant second with 906 runs.

Joe Root was the leading run scorer for England in Tests from 2014 to 2019 and was in the top three in 2013. He made his Test debut in 2012 against India and scored a crucial 73 for his side and has been a regular feature since then. He has led the side since 2017 when he took over from Sir Alastair Cook. The England side has seen some fine batsmen in the pitch like Cook, Sir Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell and now Root has become one of the most reliable batsmen in the England side.

Root has had no competitors this year in Tests as he has played some outstanding knocks which proves that Test cricket still has that elegance in it. In an era where the T20 format is considered exciting, the audience often forgets the legacy and rich history behind Test cricket. It is definitely the oldest but also the toughest for both bowlers and batsmen. The teams are tested in the five day match and it requires endurance and patience, something which only few in the current generation possess. In active players, only Root has crossed the 1400 run mark in Tests in a calendar year and he has done it twice.

There are a lot of records Root can rewrite especially for his side. He just needs one more century to become the only English batsman to score 7 Test centuries in a year and needs 3 more to beat the all time record which is held by Yousuf. He has 23 centuries in Tests which is the joint second highest along with Pietersen and Cook leads with 33 centuries. Root is only thirty years old and will look to produce more magic with the willow in his hands.

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