MULTAN: The vibrant batter, Joe Root, weighed on breaking the iconic Sachin Tendulkar‘s record for most runs in Test format as he is keen to play red-ball format for a “lot longer” and produce performances, contributing towards England’s victory.
Root is on the cusp of becoming England’s most decorated Test player. He is 71 runs shy of dethroning former England captain Alastair Cook (12,472) and sealing his spot at the summit of England’s leading Test run-scorer.
As he is looking forward to playing for a couple of more years, Root will stand close to Sachin’s elusive feat of 15,921 Test runs. One of the famed members of the ‘Fab Four’ stands 3,520 runs short of making the elusive Test feat his name.
However, personal milestones don’t drive Root; he solely intends to produce performances that contribute to England’s victory.
“I think you judge yourself on how many games you can affect and how many games you can help win. So I think that’s a big driver for me is how many times you can contribute to winning games for England. I think the mindset of trying to be successful in whatever conditions are in front of you is a good enough driver for me to keep going, keep enjoying, and keep playing. So I enjoy it at the moment,” Root said in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Pakistan Test series on Saturday.
For Root, achieving a milestone and then bringing down the curtains on his career is not something that lingers in his mind. He is focused on enjoying, having fun, and using it as a driving factor to keep on playing Test cricket.
“I see myself playing Test cricket for a lot longer. It is not like I am going to get to a certain mark or number and say I am done now. I just want to keep enjoying the game and keep playing. It is a great team to play in. We have so much fun on and off the field. As long as I have that feeling inside me, I will have plenty of drive and determination to keep going and help England win Test matches,” Root added.
England are in Pakistan for their three-match Test series, which will begin in Multan on Monday. The visitors will be without their designated skipper, Ben Stokes, in the opening Test, who continues to nurse a hamstring injury. Ollie Pope will serve as the stand-in skipper for the Multan Test.
