Joe Root joins elite group with 1,500 runs in calendar year

England's Joe Root has achieved yet another significant milestone in his celebrated Test career. During Day Two of the third Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Root became just the second player in history to score 1,500 runs in a calendar year on multiple occasions, matching the record set by former Australian captain Ricky Ponting.

The England batter entered the match needing 30 runs to reach the milestone and comfortably achieved the feat during the second session of play. This achievement adds to Root's incredible record, having already amassed 1,708 runs in 2021, a year in which he also captained England in Test cricket.

In 2024, Root has accumulated 1,502 runs across 17 matches, cementing his reputation as one of the finest Test batters in modern cricket. His consistency is comparable to that of Ponting, who reached the same milestone in 2003 and 2005 with scores of 1,503 and 1,544 runs, respectively.

Root now joins a prestigious list of players who have surpassed 1,500 runs in a single year, including cricketing legends such as Mohammad Yousuf, Viv Richards, Graeme Smith, Sachin Tendulkar, and Michael Clarke.

Most Test Runs in a Calendar Year:

- Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan) – 1,788
- Viv Richards (West Indies) – 1,710
- Joe Root (England) – 1,708
- Graeme Smith (South Africa) – 1,656
- Michael Clarke (Australia) – 1,595
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 1,562
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 1,544
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 1,503
- Joe Root (England) – 1,502*

Root has been in exceptional form in 2024 and, with his last Test of the year, he currently leads the list of run-scorers in Test cricket this year.

Most Test Runs in 2024:

- Joe Root (England) – 1,502*
- Yashasvi Jaiswal (India) – 1,304
- Ben Duckett (England) – 1,134
- Harry Brook (England) – 1,099
- Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka) – 1,049

Root is on the cusp of yet another historic achievement. Should he score just 84 more runs in the ongoing match, he will become the first English player and only the fifth cricketer in history to surpass 13,000 runs in Test cricket.

This milestone also offers Root the chance to surpass Jacques Kallis as the fastest player to reach 13,000 Test runs in terms of matches played. Kallis achieved the feat in 159 Tests, while India’s Rahul Dravid reached it in 160. Root, with 12,916 runs from 152 matches, could overtake both legends in the coming days.