Saturday 21 / December / 2024
London : England batter Joe Root surpassed Sri Lankan icon Kumar Sangakkara to become the sixth-highest run-getter in Tests on Sunday.
Root reached this milestone during the third Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval.
After scoring just 12 runs in the first inning, Root delivered just 13 runs in 48 balls with a four in the second innings, recording a rare double inning failure.
However, it was just enough to overtake Sangakkara's tally. In 146 Tests, he has scored 12,402 runs at an average of 50.62, with 34 centuries and 64 fifties in 267 innings. His best score is 254. Sangakkara on the other hand, scored 12,400 runs at an average of 57.40 in just 134 Tests, with 38 centuries and 52 fifties. His best score was 319.
The leading run-scorer in history of Test cricket is India's Sachin Tendulkar, with 15,921 runs in 200 matches at an average of 53.78, with 51 centuries and 68 fifties. His best score was 270.
Coming to the match, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to field first. England was bowled out for 325 runs in the first innings, with contributions from Ollie Pope (154 in 156 balls, with 19 fours and two sixes) and Ben Duckett (86 in 79 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) taking England to a solid score.
Milan Rathnayake (3/56) was a top bowler for SL. Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara and Dhananjaya de Silva got two wickets each.
In the first innings, Lankan Lions lost wickets at regular intervals, but half-centuries from Dhananjaya de Silva, the skipper (69 in 111 balls, with 11 fours), Pathum Nissanka (64 in 51 balls, with nine fours) and Kamindu Mendis (64 in 91 balls, with seven fours) took SL to 263, trailing by 62 runs.
Olly Stone (3/35) and Josh Hull (3/53) were the top bowlers for England.
In the second innings of England, Lankan bowlers asserted their dominance. Other than a couter-attack by Jamie Smith (67 in 50 balls, with 10 fours and a six), nothing really stood out. England was bowled out for 156 runs, and England set 219 runs to win for Sri Lanka.
