'The legends chaser' Joe Root: A magnificent Edgbaston outing could help batter overtake Dravid, Smith
The second Test will be taking place at Birmingham from Wednesday onwards. India is trailing 0-1 in the series, failing to defend 371 runs against the hosts. Root had a solid outing, as he scored 28 and an unbeaten 53*.
Having scored 115 runs in two Tests and three innings so far, Root has not set the cricketing world on fire exactly and would be aiming to get some big runs at Birmingham, considering how brilliant he has been at Edgbaston.
At the venue, Root is England's and overall all-time highest run-getter, with 920 runs in nine Tests and 16 innings at an average of 70.76. This includes three centuries and five fifties. His best score is 142*.
During his last three Tests at Birmingham, Root has made 424 runs in five innings at an average of 141.33, with two centuries and a fifty. His best score is 142*.
Another century will witness him surpass icons like Australia's Steve Smith and India's Rahul Dravid to become the fifth-highest century-scorer in Tests, with a total of 37, 15 shy of Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar's 51 tons in 200 Tests.
Also at the international level, another century will help him tie with South Africa Hashim Amla (55 centuries) as the sixth-highest century-getter in all forms of cricket. At the top is Sachin Tendulkar with exact 100 of them. 18 of Root's centuries have come in ODIs.
Root is currently the fifth-highest Test run-getter of all time, with 13,087 runs in 154 Tests and 281 innings at an average of 50.92, with 36 centuries and 66 fifties. His best score is 262.
A batting exhibition at Edgbaston worth 202 runs could help him surpass Dravid (13,288 runs in 164 Tests at an average of 52.31, 36 centuries) to become the fourth-highest Test run-getter of all time.
Will Root continue his chase of legends and score big at Birmingham?
England Men's Test squad for 2nd Test: Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes. (ANI)
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