Joe Root becomes highest home run-scorer in Test cricket

England Test captain Joe Root has become the highest run-scorer in Test cricket on home soil, surpassing the long-standing record held by Australia's Ricky Ponting. The milestone was achieved during England's second Test against Pakistan at Lord's in London, with Root reaching the mark on Friday, August 28, 2026.

Needing 13 runs to overtake Ponting's tally of 7,578 runs scored in Australia, Root made four in the first innings before scoring 24 off 37 balls in the second innings to claim the record. This was his 89th Test match on English soil. According to official statistics, Root now has 7,594 runs in home Tests at an average of 53.85, a tally that includes 24 centuries and 35 fifties across 156 innings.

Ponting, who played 92 Tests in Australia during his career, now sits second on the list with 7,578 runs. He is followed by India's Sachin Tendulkar (7,216 runs), Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene (7,167 runs), and South Africa's Jacques Kallis (7,035 runs). Root's achievement places him at the top of one of the most prestigious statistical lists in international cricket, underscoring his remarkable consistency in home conditions.

The record-breaking moment came during a match...