"If his hunger's still there, then there's every chance that he could do it"- Ricky Ponting backs Joe Root to break Sachin Tendulkar's Test record

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting feels England's star Joe Root could break Sachin Tendulkar's record for most Test runs in the upcoming years. Root overtook West Indian legend Brian Lara's run tally in the recent home series against the West Indies to become the seventh leading run-scorer in Tests with 12,027 runs.

Meanwhile, Tendulkar leads the way with an incredible 15,921 runs in 200 Tests. Ponting is second on the list with 13,378 runs, followed by Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid, Alastair Cook, and Kumar Sangakkara.

However, at only 33 and in the form of his life, Root is being touted by several experts as the batter with the best possibility of breaking Tendulkar's run-scoring record.

On this, Ricky Ponting said in an interview with the ICC:

"He (Joe Root) could potentially do that. He is 33 years of age…(more than) 3000 runs behind. It depends how many Test matches they play, but if they're playing 10 to 14 Test matches a year and if you're scoring 800 to 1000 runs a year, then that sort of says he's only three or four years off getting there. So that'll take him to 37 (years of age). If his hunger's still there, then there's every chance that he could do it."

Currently ranked No.1 among Test batters, Joe Root also boasts 32 centuries in the longest format, 19 behind the record holder Sachin Tendulkar with 51.

The champion batter has been in red-hot form, with scores of 122 and 87 in his last two Test innings against the West Indies.

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"He is someone that in the last couple of years has got better and better" - Ricky Ponting on Joe Root

Root has been on a run-scoring spree since relinquishing captaincy [Credit: Getty]

Ricky Ponting hailed Joe Root for consistently evolving and getting better at converting his starts into bigger scores over the past few years.

The England batter had a lean phase in Tests between 2018 and 2020 with only four centuries in 33 outings. However, the former England skipper has put things right by averaging in the mid-50s with 15 centuries in 46 Tests.

"He is someone that in the last couple of years has got better and better. There's always talk around batters reaching their prime in their early 30s and he's certainly done that," said Ponting.

He concluded:

"It's been his conversion rates being the big thing. Four or five years ago, he was making a lot of 50s and struggling to go on and make hundreds and he's gone the other way recently. Almost every time he gets to 50 now, he goes on and makes a big hundred. So that's been the real turnaround for him."

Joe Root averages an excellent 50.11 in his stellar Test career with 95 50+ scores in 261 innings.

The veteran batter will be in action next when England take on Sri Lanka in a three-Test series at home, starting August 21.