Vivian Richards backs Joe Root to surpass Sachin Tendulkar in Test runs

West Indies legend Vivian Richards has endorsed England batter Joe Root to overtake Sachin Tendulkar’s career Test run record. Tendulkar retired in 2013 with 15,921 runs over 200 matches. Root, aged 35, currently holds 14,208 Test runs and remains a central fixture in the England batting lineup. Richards noted that Root’s consistency and position provide a viable path to eclipsing the long-standing record. During his endorsement on Test Match Special, Richards suggested that surpassing the mark would establish Root as Yorkshire’s greatest batter, a claim that prompted a retort from Geoffrey Boycott. Boycott responded on social media by highlighting the contributions of former Yorkshire batters Herbert Sutcliffe and Len Hutton.

• 1:32 PMYahoo Sports — 'Why not'?: Vivian Richards backs Joe Root to beat Sachin Tendulkar's record, takes cheeky dig at Geoffrey Boycott