Joe Root scripted yet another monumental feat in 2021 as he surpasses Michael Vaughan’s record (1,481) for the most Test runs by an England batter in a calendar year. Michael Vaughan had scored 1,481 runs in 2002.
Earlier today, Root and Dawid Malan batted through the final session and brought back England into the game. Although Australia are still favorites to win the test, these two have given England some hope of salvaging a draw in the first Ashes Test at Gabba. England were 220-2 at the end of the third day’s play, with skipper Root on 86 and Malan 80, only 58 runs behind Australia’s first innings total.
2021 – The year of Joe Root
This has been the dream year with the bat for Joe Root. He has been in phenomenal touch, scoring runs for fun. The England captain makes batting look so easy and is due to break all manner of records this year. Root has now moved onto 1,541 runs this year. He has passed fifty-eight times in 2021, with six hundreds. In January, he amassed 228 and 186 in Sri Lanka before scoring 218 in the first Test against India in Chennai in February. Then he smashed three consecutive centuries at home against India in August.
Root is the leading run-scorer in Test cricket this year. Notably, he is the only batter with over 1,000 Test runs in 2021. He also crosses Hashim Amla in test runs. He is now the 14th highest test run-scorer of all time. Root now has the most Test runs by an England captain in a calendar year. The 30-year-old has gone past Alastair Cook’s tally of 1,364 runs in 2015. Only three other captains have scored more Test runs than Root in a calendar year (Graeme Smith: 1,656, Michael Clarke: 1,595, and Ricky Ponting: 1,544).
Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf holds the record for the most Test runs in a calendar year. He scored 1,788 in 19 innings in 2006 with nine hundreds and three fifties. With two Tests to go in 2021, Yusuf’s record of 1788 is in serious danger. Root needs 241 runs to go past Yousuf’s tally of 1788 runs. the record of 1,788 runs in a calendar year, set by Mohammad Yousef in 2006, is in serious danger.
