In a tricky run chase of 374 against India, Joe Root once again proved to be England's main man, standing tall with a crucial knock that also etched his name in the history books. England needed their most experienced batter to take control, and Root answered the call, leading from the front.
Joe Root first to 6000 WTC runs
During the 40th over of England's innings, Root struck a boundary off Mohammed Siraj through the gully region, a shot that made history. With that boundary, he became the first cricketer to score 6,000 runs in the history of the World Test Championship (WTC). Heading into this Test at the Oval, Root had 5,946 WTC runs. He added another 54 runs to achieve this magnificent milestone. The next-closest batter, Steve Smith, is a distant second with 4,278 runs, highlighting the magnitude of Root's accomplishment.
Batters with most runs in WTC history:
| Players | Runs | Matches |
| Joe Root (England) | 6000 | 68 |
| Steve Smith (Australia) | 4278 | 55 |
| Marnus Labuschagne (Australia) | 4225 | 53 |
| Ben Stokes (England) | 3616 | 57 |
| Travis Head (Australia) | 3300 | 52 |
Joe Root has made history as the first batter to reach both 5,000 and 6,000 runs in the World Test Championship (WTC). The next highest scorer is Australia's Steve Smith. Smith's teammate, Marnus Labuschagne, is third on the list with 4,225 runs from 53 games.
Interestingly, Root's captain, Ben Stokes, is in fourth place with 3,616 runs, while Travis Head holds the fifth spot with 3,300 runs from 52 matches.
Other Records Joe Root Can Break
In addition to his WTC milestone, Root has the opportunity to break several other records in this second innings.
Most Test centuries at home: Root currently has 23 Test centuries at home. If he scores a hundred against India, he will surpass Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting, who both also have 23, to become the player with the most centuries scored on home soil.
Most hundreds against a single opponent: Root has 12 Test centuries against India. Another century would see him surpass Steve Smith, who also has 12, to become the player with the joint-second most centuries against a single opposition. Don Bradman holds the record with 19 hundreds against England, while Sunil Gavaskar is second with 13 against the West Indies.