Joe Root breaks Zaheer Abbas and Younis Khan’s record with historic India test series performance.
Joe Root has etched his name in history by surpassing two of Pakistan’s greatest batsmen, Zaheer Abbas and Younis Khan, with another record-breaking knock during the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
After his latest heroics, Joe Root has become the first player ever to score 500 or more runs in a Test series against India on three separate occasions.
This remarkable milestone was reached during the final Test of the 2025 series at The Oval, where Root compiled an elegant century, scoring 105 runs off 152 balls in the second innings to bring his team closer to victory.
Root’s stellar performance in the series lifted his total runs to 537 at an impressive average of 67.12, including three centuries, with a highest score of 150.
This achievement sets him apart from legends like Zaheer Abbas, who notched 650 runs in the 1982-83 series and 583 in the 1978-79 series against India, and Younis Khan, who managed 553 runs in 2005-06 and 508 in 2004-05 — both Pakistan stalwarts reached the 500-run mark twice against their formidable rivals.
The English batsman’s consistency against India is unparalleled. Besides this latest feat, Root had scored 518 runs in the 2014 series in England and a staggering 737 runs at an average of 105.28 during the 2021-22 home series, where he hit four centuries.
By achieving 500-plus runs in four separate Test series overall, Root now joins the elite company of England greats Wally Hammond, Jack Hobbs, and Ken Barrington.
Beyond this, Joe Root has also eclipsed cricketing legends such as Everton Weekes, Garry Sobers, Ricky Ponting, and Indian icons Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli, all of whom recorded 500+ runs twice in Test series against opponents.
His latest runs tally also moves him closer to the all-time Test run scorers list, with only one name left ahead of him.
This record-breaking series will be remembered as yet another chapter in Joe Root’s illustrious career, underscoring his standing as one of the greatest Test batsmen of any era.
