MANCHESTER: England batter Joe Root said he was pleased with becoming the second-most leading run-scorer in Tests, while adding that personal milestones take a backseat when it comes to winning matches for his side.
Root, 34, overtook Ricky Ponting (Australia), Jacques Kallis (South Africa) and Rahul Dravid (India) on day three of the Manchester Test to become number two in the list for most runs scored in Tests with 13409.
Sachin Tendulkar leads the list with 15,921 runs in 200 Tests.
“It is pretty cool. You look at the names [on the list], all people are those I tried to be while growing up playing in the garden, on the streets, on the driveways. Even to be mentioned in the same sentence as these guys is a bit of a ‘pinch yourself’ moment,” Root told Sky Sports Cricket.
When asked if he was aware of the impending records ahead of the third day’s play, the former England captain said, “You can’t avoid it, they are everywhere! You know it, but you try and put it out of your mind. It’s easy to get caught up in this stuff but at the end of the day, you are playing against India in one of the biggest series there is. It’s one of the crucial days in the whole series, we have a real opportunity with the sun being out to try and get ahead and put yourself in a position to win a test match.”
Root brought up his 38th Test hundred before he was dimissed for 150 with England in a commanding position to push for a series win.
He added, “When it comes to it, that [personal records] has to take a backward seat. It’s not about you, it’s about winning the game. You are not doing your job properly, if you are concentrating on yourself.” Agencies
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