Joe Root overtakes Jacques Kallis on all-time Test list as England dominate India
Image: Ben Stansall/AFP
Joe Root climbed to third on the all-time list of Test run-scorers on Friday as England tightened their grip on the fourth match of the series against India.
The home team, 2-1 up in the five-Test series, were 332-2 at lunch on the third day at Old Trafford, just 26 runs behind India's first-innings total of 358.
Ollie Pope was 70 not out and Root unbeaten on 63.
Root, appearing in his 157th Test, moved past India's Rahul Dravid and South Africa's Jacques Kallis on the all-time run-scorers list in the course of his innings.
Get your news on the go, click
here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Only Australia's Ricky Ponting (13,378 runs) and India's Sachin Tendulkar (15,921) are now ahead of the 34-year-old Englishman and are both retired.
England resumed on 225-2 following a blistering opening partnership of 166 in 32 overs between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett on day two, with Pope 20 not out and Root on 11.
India's pacemen had too often been wayward on Thursday and Jasprit Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, saw his first ball Friday drift down the legside to be clipped away for four by Root in elegant fashion.
Root then uppercut Mohammed Siraj over the slips for another boundary.
On 21, the former England skipper walked a long away across his stumps only to miss an intended glance off Siraj.
India reviewed for lbw after Ahsan Raza ruled in Root's favour but replays upheld the Pakistani umpire's decision, indicating the ball would have missed leg stump.
There was another scare when Root, on 22, was nearly run out but Ravindra Jadeja's shy at the stump missed.
Root then square-drove Bumrah for four in stylish fashion before a single off the paceman took him past Dravid and level with Kallis.
An offside single off Siraj took him into sole possession of third place, with Root's achievement greeted by applause and familiar shouts of "Rooot" from the sun-drenched crowd in Manchester.
Pope, who drove Siraj for a superb four between cover and mid-off, completed a 93-ball fifty before Root followed him to the landmark in 99 balls faced.
India captain Shubman Gill brought on Jadeja and fellow spinner Washington Sundar in a bid to separate England's third-wicket duo but could not engineer a breakthrough.
AFP
Get your news on the go, click
here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
41 minutes ago
- IOL News
Bayern Munich agree deal to sign Liverpool winger Luis Diaz: reports
Bayern Munich have reportedly agreed to a £65.5 million deal to sign Liverpool winger Luis Diaz (pictured centre), providing a replacement for the injured Jamal Musiala, while Liverpool strengthens their squad with new signings including Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. Picture: Alejandro Pagni/AFP Image: Alejandro Pagni/AFP German champions Bayern Munich have agreed to sign Liverpool winger Luis Diaz in a £65.5 million ($88 million) deal, according to multiple reports on Sunday. Bayern had an initial offer of £59 million rejected by the Premier League champions last week, but their improved bid looks set to bring the Colombia international to the Allianz Arena. Diaz has reportedly been given permission to leave Liverpool's pre-season tour of Asia in order to complete a medical with Bayern. He joined Liverpool from Porto in January 2022 and won the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup during his time at Anfield. Lucho Diaz's Future Uncertain Amidst Speculation and Absence from Liverpool's Match Against AC Milan The 28-year--old made 50 appearances and scored 17 goals in all competitions last season as Arne Slot's team clinched the English title for the first time in five years. Diaz was left out of Liverpool's 4-2 friendly defeat against AC Milan in Hong Kong on Saturday as speculation mounted over his future. "In Lucho's (Diaz's) situation, there's a lot of rumours around him lately and I cannot go into that," Slot said after the Milan match. "He's training really well with us but we have decided for now not to play him yet. "I'm used to talking to most of my players on a regular basis. I cannot comment much more about that.' Liverpool's Transfer Window Activity: Strengthening Attack and Defence Diaz's impending signing gives Bayern a quality replacement for Germany forward Jamal Musiala, who has been ruled out for a 'long period' after he suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle at the Club World Cup this month. Liverpool have been busy in the transfer window, bolstering their attacking options with expensive swoops for Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike. Defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez arrived from Leverkusen and Bournemouth respectively, while goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili joined from Valencia. The Reds are also believed to be interested in making a bid for Newcastle's £150 million-rated striker Alexander Isak. AFP
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
Piastri wins Belgian GP, extends championship lead
'I knew lap one was going to be my best chance of winning the race." Winner McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri lifts the first place trophy after winning the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa, on July 27, 2025. (Photo by SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP) Oscar Piastri held off his McLaren teammate Lando Norris to win the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came third as Piastri stretched his lead in the drivers' standings over Norris to 16 points. Heavy rain delayed the 13th round of the season by 80 minutes, with organisers eventually allowing a rolling start after four laps behind the safety car as the sun finally appeared. Pole sitter Norris was quickly passed by Piastri as Norris complained he had a problem with his car's battery. Piastri then produced a controlled race from the front to lead home McLaren's sixth 1-2 of the season. 'I knew lap one was going to be my best chance of winning the race,' said Piastri. 'Rest of race we managed really well,' the Australian added. 'Oscar did a good job, nothing more to say,' said Norris. Max Verstappen, winner of Saturday's sprint, took fourth in Laurent Mekies' first race weekend as Red Bull team principal after the sacking of Christian Horner a fortnight ago.
eNCA
2 hours ago
- eNCA
McIntosh makes golden start as Australia win world relay double
Teenage phenomenon Summer McIntosh captured gold in ominous fashion on the opening day of the world swimming championships on Sunday as Australia claimed a relay double in Singapore. The 18-year-old Canadian launched her packed programme with a dominant performance in the women's 400m freestyle, romping home in 3min 56.26sec, nearly two seconds clear of China's Li Bingjie, who was followed by American great Katie Ledecky in bronze. It was world record holder McIntosh's first world title in the event as she pursues five individual golds in Singapore. With Australia's Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus skipping the championships before she prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the race was billed as a showdown between McIntosh and Ledecky. But McIntosh grasped control early on and streaked further ahead as the race progressed. "I think the 400 freestyle in past world championships and Olympics, I haven't been at my best and I haven't been where I want to be," she said. "So to finally stand on the centre of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet." AFP | François-Xavier MARIT McIntosh, who broke three world records at the Canadian trials in the lead-up to the worlds, jumped straight back into the pool for the 200m medley semi-finals 20 minutes after winning gold. She qualified for the final with the fastest time, saying she was "in the best shape of my life". "Now I just have to act on that and put it into all of my races," she added. McIntosh was joined in Monday's 200m IM final by Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi. The schoolgirl, who juggles swimming with homework, squeezed into the final. "I'm in? Oh, I'm happy about that and I will continue to work harder," she said. "I hope to find a breakthrough at these world championships and show my potential." - Maertens pips Short - Germany's Lukas Maertens won a nail-biting gold in the men's 400m freestyle, pipping Australia's Sam Short by 0.02sec. Maertens, the Olympic champion and world record holder, became world champion in the event for the first time. German compatriot Florian Wellbrock won four golds in the open water events in Singapore and Maertens said their country had taken a "big step forward". AFP | MANAN VATSYAYANA "All the girls and guys are a really young team and there are a lot to come," he said. "Now I'm one of the old guys and I'm 23. That means a lot and I'm really proud to be in the German team." Maertens came home in 3min 42.35sec after a fierce battle with Short, the 2023 world champion. South Korea's Kim Woo-min, the reigning world champion, was third. Maertens was the favourite after breaking the world record in Stockholm in April, a mark that had stood since 2009. But Short fought him every stroke of the way, losing out after an incredible tussle to the finish. "There was a lot of pressure, also as the world record holder, it wasn't easy to fight these guys," said Maertens. Australia ended the opening night on a high after both their women's and men's teams won the 4x100m freestyle relays. The women's team of Mollie O'Callaghan, Meg Harris, Milla Jansen and Olivia Wunsch came home ahead of the United States, with the Netherlands third. Flynn Southam, Kai James Taylor, Maximillian Giuliani and Kyle Chalmers then completed the double, finishing ahead of Italy and the Americans in the men's race. Their winning time of 3:08.97 was a world championship record. "We've come together really well in camp and preparation -- we believed we could do it and we did it," said Chalmers. - US hit with illness - The US team is battling a stomach bug in the camp, with two competitors skipping their opening races. Torri Huske, a treble gold medallist at last year's Paris Olympics, and 18-year-old Claire Weinstein did not compete "so they could focus on other events", team official Nikki Warner told AFP. "Our team experienced acute gastroenteritis," Warner said. "No one has pulled out of the competition." Huske later competed in the relay final. By Andrew Mckirdy
