Root is still 1705 runs away from Tendulkar, who recorded 15,921 runs in 329 innings in his 24-year career at a 53.78 average. (AP/File)Despite enduring a lean run in recent games, England captain Joe Root has received firm backing from legendary West Indies batter Vivian Richards to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record Test runs.Root, who took over for a second stint as Test captain from Ben Stokes, on Wednesday became the third-highest-capped Test player, only behind Tendulkar (200) and James Anderson (188). Root, featuring in his 169th Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston, surpassed Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh.Richards, who had ended his Test career in 1991 as the then highest run-scorer for the West Indies with 8540 at 50.23, said regaining the captaincy will help Root push for the landmark.ALSO READ | ‘You’ve got it wrong guys’: English protestors mistake PAK U19 team for asylum seekers“Well, if he’s captain, why not? He is captain at present, so he is in a good place for that. Nothing is wrong with him trying to achieve that. It would be a milestone for him and would certainly send a message to Sir Geoffrey Boycott that the best batter to come out of Yorkshire is not Sir Geoff. The baton would have been passed on to Joe Root,” Richards said on The Test Match Special.Root’s lbw horrorsRoot, who will turn 36 in December, has endured a nagging lbw problem over the last year. Since the 2025 Boxing Day Test, Root has fallen to 10 lbw dismissals across 13 innings, the latest of which occurred on Wednesday during England’s first innings against Pakistan at Edgbaston. All four of his dismissals this series have been marked to lbws.Root endured an unwanted record, becoming the quickest batter in Test cricket history for 10 successive lbw dismissals.Story continues below this adRoot, however, recently brushed concerns over the recurring pattern of his dismissals.“I’ve played this game a long time and I’ve always found ways of solving those problems and working it through. I don’t see this as being any different. There’s a reason why I’ve got 14,000 runs and a reason why I’ve played the best part of 15 years at this level,” Root said in an interaction with BBC."Are you happy telling Sir Geoffrey that?" Sir Viv Richards is ready for some banter with Sir Geoffrey Boycott pic.twitter.com/RZx5y6OjPX— Test Match Special (@bbctms) September 9, 2026“Of course it’s frustrating that there’s sort of a trend. There are probably four umpires’ calls within that, which could have gone the other way, and the ball is probably deviating more than it ever has.You try and be realistic and understand where everything’s at, but also be aware of what you need to do to keep improving and keep getting better. I’m pretty sure I’ll get through the other side. I’m not too concerned about that,” Root added.Catching up to TendulkarRoot, who became only the second man to reach 14,000 Test runs after Tendulkar, has amassed 14,216 runs in 308 innings since his debut in 2012, averaging 50.23. He is still 1705 runs away from the Indian batting great, who recorded 15,921 runs in 329 innings in his 24-year career at a 53.78 average.Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.Tags:Joe RootSachin Tendulkar