England v India: Joe Root in a league of his own as he chases Test immortality
The 'Fab Four' was a thing a few years back. Cricket was enjoying a golden period where four young batters were raising the bar constantly and producing incredible performances in all formats.
Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Kane Williamson seemed to have the world at their feet; stylish players with a solid technique, strong leadership qualities and ability to adapt to any condition.
Out of these, India great Kohli abruptly retired from the Test format earlier this after a poor run against New Zealand at home and away in Australia.
Australia veteran Smith has regained his form to a degree, powering his team to the World Test Championship final where he dropped an important catch against South Africa in the second innings, saw the Proteas lift their first world title, and also hurt his finger in the process.
Kiwi legend Williamson's international future remains uncertain as he has turned down a central contract for a second season.
So, it's just Root still standing.
That did not seem likely a few seasons back as the other three seemed to be forging ahead, while Root embarked upon a strange quest to reinvent his batting in red-ball cricket with the aid of ungainly ramps, reverse scoops and all-out attacking batting.
It was a challenge Root took upon himself, tested it as much as he wanted – credit for which must go to an accommodating team management – and now stands at the gates of cricketing immortality.
Amid the upheaval, Root, still only 34, has crossed the 13,000-run mark in Test cricket (13,006 to be exact). That is by far the most runs among active cricketers and a little under 3,000 away from the pinnacle – Sachin Tendulkar's tally of 15,921 Test runs.
In fact, if Root scores more than 372 runs in the five-match series, he will move up from fifth to second in the all-time Test runs tally, overtaking Ricky Ponting and landing right behind Tendulkar.
The right-handed batter still has a good five or six years of cricket left in him, and with England playing almost twice as many matches in each cycle compared to most other sides, Root can and should overtake Tendulkar.
That would make the former England captain the most successful Test batter of all time, and secure his position in Test history forever.
It is only fair that England get to boast having the most successful batter and fast bowlers (James Anderson and Stuart Broad) in Test cricket; after all, they consistently play more Test matches than other teams and have also funneled all their resources to the red-ball format, at least for the foreseeable future.
While the future looks rosy, Root must now plan for the India series that begins this Friday.
The five-Test series provides captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum a chance to make a fresh start in their pursuit of Test excellence after a disjointed campaign of the previous cycle that had a lot of noise but limited results; England finished fifth in the table.
There is nothing holding back England now. And no one to challenge Root's supremacy either.
India are without Kohli, along with captain Rohit Sharma and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, all now retired from the format. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is expected to play no more than three out of the five Tests as the previous five-match series in Australia broke his back.
India are being led by young batter Shubman Gill, who is yet to prove his mettle in the Test format and is not yet the undisputed leader of the dressing room.
That means if Root and England keep their eyes on the ball, they can start the new cycle on a positive note. By the end of this cycle, England could get a taste of the World Test Championship final, and Root a glimpse of Tendulkar's landmark.
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