‘He’ll beat Sachin Tendulkar’: Joe Root hints at another Ashes tour after 41st Test century | Cricket News

Joe Root, now second only to India icon Sachin Tendulkar in overall Test runs, struck 15 boundaries during a commanding 242-ball innings that powered England to 384 in their first innings. (Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Joe Root kept the door open for a possible return to Australia after producing a masterclass 160 in the fifth Ashes Test on Monday, with the England great showing no signs of winding down. The 35-year-old brought up his second hundred of the series in Sydney, his 41st in Tests, drawing level with Australian legend Ricky Ponting for third place on the all-time list.Root, now second only to India icon Sachin Tendulkar in overall Test runs, struck 15 boundaries during a commanding 242-ball innings that powered England to 384 in their first innings.

With England’s next Ashes tour of Australia scheduled in four years’ time, Root would be 39, leading many to believe that this might have been his final appearance Down Under. His acknowledgement of the crowd as he left the field added to that sentiment, but Root was quick to play down such interpretations.“I think you might be looking into it a little bit too much,” Root said when asked if it was a farewell.“I just felt like we’ve had some amazing support throughout this series, and we’ve not been able to achieve what we set out to as a group.“But at no point has that (support) ever wavered, and that’s never wavered whenever I’ve come out here on tour, it’s been exceptional. And it’s a way of saying thank you, really.”Pressed on whether he could return for another Ashes series in Australia, Root remained non-committal but hopeful.“Who knows? We’ll see. I’d love to, but we’ll see how things unfold in time,” he said.The century was Root’s second of the series, following his sublime unbeaten 138 in the Brisbane day-night Test, which ended a long wait for a hundred in Australia after three previous Ashes tours.Only Tendulkar, with 51 Test centuries, and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis, with 45, have more hundreds than Root, who is also closing in on Tendulkar’s record tally of 15,921 Test runs, having amassed 13,937 so far.Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann was effusive in his praise, describing Root as “the best player outside of Bradman” after the Sydney innings.“I’ve said it before, once he ticked off the hundred in Australia, he’ll be the greatest player outside of Bradman, statistically,” Lehmann said on ABC radio.“He’ll break all the records. He’ll beat Tendulkar, he’ll make more hundreds than anyone else. And it’ll take a lot of catching because he’s quite fit.”