‘When I saw him playing his first Test match, I knew he was going to make it big’ – Sachin Tendulkar lauds Joe Root

Sachin Tendulkar has praised Joe Root‘s Test cricket career, reflecting on the England batter’s journey since his international debut. Tendulkar named Root among his favourite non-Indian batters, alongside England’s Harry Brook and Australia’s Steve Smith.

Root made his Test debut in December 2012 at Nagpur against India, scoring 73 off 229 balls in the first innings and remaining unbeaten on 20 in the second. Tendulkar played that game and watched the Sheffield-born batter up close. That early performance left a lasting impression on the Master Blaster, who recognised the young batter’s potential from the outset.

“I’ve always rated him very highly and it was evident to me in his first test match that he was going to make it big!” Tendulkar said during an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Reddit.

Root has accumulated 14,278 Test runs across 169 matches and 309 innings, placing him second on the all-time Test run-scoring list. Tendulkar retired from Test cricket with 15,921 runs in 200 matches and 329 innings, leaving Root trailing by 1,643 runs. Only Tendulkar and former England pacer James Anderson, who played 188 Test matches, have featured in more Test matches than Root’s 169 appearances.

Root’s consistency and longevity have established him as one of the modern era’s most prolific Test batters. The England batter broke Tendulkar’s record of most Test fifties in September 2026 at Edgbaston, registering his 69th half-century to surpass Tendulkar’s previous record of 68.

Tendulkar’s proposal for ODI cricket

During the same Reddit session, Tendulkar also shared his views on the future of one-day international cricket. He suggested splitting the 50-over ODI format into two separate 25-over innings for each team, retaining 10 wickets across the full 50 overs and using a single ball throughout.

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“My suggestion is simple. Split the 50 overs into two innings of 25 each. But keep 10 wickets for the full 50 overs and use just one ball throughout. That way the contest between bat and ball stays alive, and both teams get to bat and bowl under the dew. It balances the game for both sides. We need to do something before bowlers go extinct,” Tendulkar added.