England’s star batter Joe Root went past as many as three batters on the all-time Test batting list during his 150-run knock on Day 3 of the Manchester Test against India.

After going past Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis before Lunch, Root surpassed Australian legend Ricky Ponting before Tea on Friday (July 25) to become the second-highest run scorer in the longest format.

Root celebrated the milestone day by getting to his 38th Test hundred, drawing level with Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara on the all-time list of Test batters with most three-figure scores.

When Root scored his 120th run, he moved to No. 2 in the list of batters with most Test runs, taking his tally past Ponting's 13,378. Now, the only one batter with more Test runs than English talisman is the Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar, who has 15,921 runs to his credit from 200 matches.

Ahead of fourth day’s play at Old Trafford, Root expressed his admiration for Tendulkar, recalling a memorable moment from his debut tour to India.

“Sachin is one of the greats. What he achieved with the pressure he was under was just phenomenal. When you play against him, you want to copy him, try to emulate him. Getting the opportunity to face him was a true honour,” Root said while speaking to Harsha Bhogle on Sony Sports Network.

He also recounted a moment from the 2012 India tour that left him amazed. “Pujara had scored a double hundred in the first Test. In the next one, he got out early and the entire crowd started cheering. I didn’t get it at first, then realised it was because Sachin was coming in to bat. It felt bizarre but showed how loved and legendary he was.”

Currently, Joe Root has 13,409 runs to his credit in Test cricket and needs 2512 more to displace Sachin Tendulkar from the summit.

Describing the moment, Root said, “It’s a pinch-yourself moment. Growing up, I used to pretend to be Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara or Brian Lara in my garden or local club. Just to see my name next to theirs is pretty cool.”

When asked about the possibility of overtaking Tendulkar, Root replied, “It’s not something I’ll focus on. Those things should look after themselves. The focus has to be about winning games.”

The 34-year-old acknowledged the chatter around his milestones but added, “The numbers are everywhere, aren’t they? But you try not to get caught up in it. You’re not doing your job if you’re thinking only about yourself.”