Manchester, UK – July 26, 2025 – England batter Ollie Pope believes that his teammate Joe Root possesses the hunger and skill to surpass legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s record as the highest run-scorer in Test cricket. Pope’s remarks come after Root’s stellar performance in the ongoing fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, where he moved past former Australian captain Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in the longest format of the game.
Root achieved this significant milestone on Friday, Day 3 of the Test, en route to a magnificent innings of 150 runs off 248 balls, which included 14 fours. He was eventually dismissed by India’s top-ranked all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
“I’m sure if his body allows, I’m sure he’ll have the hunger to play,” Pope told the media, speaking about Root’s incredible drive. “I’m not sure how many games he needs, the way he’s batting. He’ll obviously be driven to make it to number one, but I think he just wants to keep playing as long as he can. The excitement he still has to play Test cricket, whenever we rock up at the start of the series, he’s always got the biggest smile on his face. So I think the hunger he has for it, I wouldn’t be surprised if he can chase him down.”
Root’s Masterclass and Record-Breaking Form
Pope lauded Root’s 150-run knock, describing it as “exactly what the team needed.” He added, “Pretty flawless, didn’t really give away any chances, and just played his game. And I think, yeah, the way he goes about his cricket, the way he trains, the amount of runs he’s scoring now is just amazing. He’s a joy to watch and see how he goes about his stuff. And yeah, obviously just keeps getting better and better.”
Root’s dominance against India continues to be a remarkable narrative. During his innings, he also surpassed Steve Smith’s record for the most centuries against the Men in Blue, reaching his 12th Test century against India. Furthermore, Root now holds the record for the most Test hundreds against an opponent in home Tests, with nine centuries against India in England, surpassing even the legendary Don Bradman’s eight against England. Root’s 38th Test century overall also brought him level with Kumar Sangakkara on the all-time list of most Test centuries.
Stokes’ Resilience and England’s Strong Position
Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes showcased his immense resilience, battling through leg cramps to remain unbeaten on 77 at the close of Day 3. Ollie Pope explained that Stokes’ cramping was likely due to the intense physical demands of the ongoing series. “I think he’s [Ben Stokes] just cramping down his leg, and I think it managed to spread to his whole leg from what I understand. I think it’s probably just a build-up of the amount he’s sort of pushed his body over the last four or five weeks. The amount he’s bowled, I think, is something that it’s the most he’s bowled in the series so far. And obviously, we’ve still got a game to go. So I think he’s obviously pushed himself to some serious limits so far,” Pope said.
Stokes also achieved a personal milestone, completing 11,000 runs in his international career across all formats during his gritty innings. He ended the day on 77 not out, alongside Liam Dawson (21*), helping England to a commanding total of 544/7, leading India by 186 runs. Stokes now has 11,016 runs from 272 international matches at an average of 35.88, including 18 hundreds and 61 fifties.
Match Overview
England began Day 3 at 225/2, with Ollie Pope (20*) and Joe Root (11*) at the crease. The duo formed a crucial century partnership, building on the strong foundation laid by openers Ben Duckett (94) and Zak Crawley (84). England reached 332/2 by the end of the first session, with both Root and Pope having scored their fifties.
In the second session, Washington Sundar (2/57) provided breakthroughs for India, dismissing Ollie Pope (71 off 128 balls) and Harry Brook (3). However, the partnership between skipper Stokes and Root thwarted further Indian resistance, as Root brought up his 38th Test century and surpassed Ricky Ponting in the process. England concluded the second session at 433/4, with Stokes and Root unbeaten. India’s pace spearheads, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, faced fitness issues during this session, briefly leaving the field.
After Root’s brilliant 150, Bumrah and Siraj quickly removed Jamie Smith (9) and Chris Woakes (4), reducing England to 528/7.
Earlier in the match, England had won the toss and elected to bowl first. India posted a total of 358 runs in their first innings, thanks to half-centuries from Sai Sudharsan (61), Yashasvi Jaiswal (58), and Rishabh Pant (54). Ben Stokes was the pick of the English bowlers, claiming a five-wicket haul (5/72), his first since 2017, preventing India from establishing a larger partnership.