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England began their tour of New Zealand in emphatic fashion, defeating the hosts by eight wickets in the first Test at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. Opting to bowl first, England’s bowlers justified skipper Ben Stokes’ decision, restricting New Zealand to 348 in their first innings. Brydon Carse led the charge with a five-wicket haul, while Shoaib Bashir chipped in with crucial breakthroughs.
England responded with a dominant batting display, scoring 499, thanks to Harry Brook‘s scintillating 171 and crucial contributions from skipper Stokes and Gus Atkinson. In their second innings, New Zealand managed only 254, with Carse and Chris Woakes dismantling the batting lineup. Chasing a modest 104, England reached the target in just 12.4 overs, with Zak Crawley and Jacob Bethell leading the charge.
Joe Root shatters Sachin Tendulkar’s record in Tests
The match will be remembered for Joe Root’s historic achievement. Root surpassed India’s cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar to become the leading run-scorer in the fourth innings of Test cricket. Entering his 150th Test, Root added another feather to his illustrious cap, scoring a quickfire 22 off 15 balls to help England chase down the target.
Root’s tally of 1,630 runs in the fourth innings now tops the charts, edging past Tendulkar’s 1,625 runs. This achievement cements Root’s reputation as one of the greatest finishers in the longest format of the game.
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Most runs in the fourth innings in Test cricket
- 1,630 – Joe Root
- 1,625 – Sachin Tendulkar
- 1,611 – Alastair Cook
- 1,611 – Graeme Smith
- 1,580 – Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Root’s next target? Tendulkar’s all-time Test runs tally
While Root has claimed Tendulkar’s record in the fourth innings, another monumental milestone beckons. Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer in Test cricket history with 15,921 runs, a record that has stood for over a decade. Root, who currently has 12,777 runs to his name, will need another 3,144 runs to surpass the Master Blaster’s iconic tally.
Considering Root’s consistency and form, he is well on track to etch his name atop the list of all-time greats. At 33 years old, Root has the skill, fitness, and determination to rewrite history once again. England will look to maintain their winning momentum as the series progresses, with Root leading the charge for both team success and individual greatness.
