Image Source: ECB
Joe Root vs Sachin Tendulkar: Sydney, January 7, 2026: England's star batsman Joe Root has started 2026 in the style he is known for. By scoring a magnificent century against Australia in the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Root has made it clear that this year is going to bring a shower of records for him.
Although Root has been out of the T20I team since May 2019, his stature in red-ball cricket currently seems to be above any other batsman in the world. Let's take a look at 5 major historical milestones that Joe Root can achieve this year (2026):
1. The magical figure of 7,000 runs in the World Test Championship (WTC)
Joe Root is the most successful batsman in the history of the WTC so far. He has scored 6,474 runs in 135 innings at an average of 52.63. He needs only 526 runs to complete 7,000 runs. Given his current form, he could become the first player in the world to achieve this milestone in the first few months of the year. Marnus Labuschagne (4,447 runs) is far behind him.
2. Sachin Tendulkar's 'most Test half-centuries' record
The record for the most half-centuries in Test cricket is currently held by Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar (68). Joe Root is second with 66 half-centuries.
However, Root's conversion rate (converting half-centuries into centuries) is so excellent that he seems to prefer going straight for a century, as he did in the Sydney Test. Even so, Tendulkar's record is almost certain to be broken in 2026.3. Surpassing Ricky Ponting in the Race for Most Test Centuries
The century scored in Sydney was Joe Root's 41st Test century. With this, he has equaled the record of the great Australian captain Ricky Ponting and is now jointly third on the all-time list. Another century this year will take him ahead of Ponting and closer to Jacques Kallis (45) and Sachin Tendulkar (51).
4. Most Double Centuries for England
The record for the most double centuries in Test cricket for England belongs to Wally Hammond (7 double centuries). Joe Root has scored 6 double centuries so far. If he manages another big innings in 2026, he will equal or surpass Hammond's record.
5. Most Runs in Test Cricket: Sachin's Throne Under Threat
This is the biggest record that the whole world is watching. Joe Root now has 13,937 runs and is the second-highest run-scorer in Test history. Root needs 1,984 runs to surpass Sachin Tendulkar (15,921). While scoring so many runs in a single year is challenging, it doesn't seem impossible given Root's current form and hunger for runs.
Conclusion: For Joe Root, 2026 is not just another calendar year, but an opportunity to write history. The Sydney century was just a trailer; the real picture is yet to come!
