“He’s not hunting down Tendulkar”: Jos Buttler on Joe Root ahead of Oval Test

Joe Root is gearing up for the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval. Despite a draw in the fourth Test in Manchester, it turned out to be a significant match for the former England skipper, as Root surpassed greats like Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer of all time in the longest format of the game.

Advertisment

With 13,409 runs, he is now only behind the Indian great Sachin Tendulkar (15,921). But ahead of the fifth Test, England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler has claimed that Root does not have Sachin’s record in his mind.

While speaking on his YouTube channel, Buttler said: “He’s not hunting down Sachin Tendulkar because that’s definitely not the way he plays his cricket or how he sees it. But he is number two on an incredibly elite list, with what seems like—if he stays fit—quite an attainable kind of thing, which is absolutely mind-blowing. He has got 21 hundreds since COVID. He is obviously in the form of his life and it is awesome to watch.”

Former England pacer and co-host of the podcast Stuart Broad also asked Buttler if he thinks there is any way that can prevent Root from achieving the top spot in the coming years—surpassing the great Sachin Tendulkar—especially considering that Root is now 34 years old and will soon turn 35.

Advertisment

In reply, Buttler said: “It might just be a bit more in his favour. Hunger is never an issue I see with Root. He isn’t going to wake up in 2-3 years and think he doesn’t have the love for batting or playing for England. He has just been playing so well, even during that period when England won one game in 17 and he was captain.”

“But he just doesn’t see it like that at all. Which I think is the great thing about him. He just loves playing and and winning matches. So it’s going to be pretty cool to watch whether he stays at No. 2 or scales that Everest and goes to No. 1,” Buttler concluded.

In this series, Root has scored 403 runs in seven innings so far, at an average of 67.16, including two centuries and one fifty.

Advertisment

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!