Can Joe Root break Sachin Tendulkar's Test run tally? Exploring whether the England star can become the highest runscorer in Tests

Joe Root is the highest run-scorer in Test cricket among active players. The Englishman is a Test specialist and has scored most of his career runs in the red-ball format. 

The veteran English batter is currently featuring in the five-match Ashes Test series against Australia Down Under. Root has a plethora of records in front of him ready to be broken, but there's something bigger that the English batter has his eyes on.

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Joe Root is the closest to equalling or surpassing the great Sachin Tendulkar's run tally in Test cricket. The Englishman has reserved himself for the longer formats and is rarely unavailable for selection for the Test squad.

As of January 2026, Root still ranks second on the all-time list of Test run-scorers, having pulled clear of Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting in the India vs England Test series.

As the ace England batter climbs a mountain to catch Tendulkar, AllSportsPeople  analyses the feasibility of any such feat.

How many runs does Joe Root need to overtake Sachin Tendulkar's Test career runs?

Even matching Sachin Tendulkar's Test career runs would be an incredible feat, let alone surpassing the tally. Tendulkar, having played 200 Tests in his career, has scored close to 16000 runs in the longest format. 

Joe Root needs 1978 runs to surpass Sachin Tendulkar's Test career runs tally. Having played 37 fewer Tests, the 34-year-old would have to perform like he did in his prime, in the twilight years of his cricketing career.