Former England cricketer Ian Bell believes that Joe Root will be remembered as England's finest Test batter, regardless of whether he surpasses Sachin Tendulkar's monumental record of 15,921 Test runs.
Root recently moved into sixth place on the list of all-time leading run-scorers in Test cricket, overtaking Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara. Bell praised Root's performance over the past year, stating that Root has been playing exceptionally well without overthinking his future accomplishments.
"He's been incredible over the last 12 months. He's just enjoying the moment, like the rest of us," Bell shared in an exclusive interview with PTI during the Legends League Cricket event.
Bell also expressed admiration for Tendulkar, acknowledging that comparing Root to such a legendary figure is a testament to Root's achievements. "To even be in the conversation alongside someone like Sachin, who is admired not only in India but around the world, is remarkable. Whether he surpasses Sachin or not, Joe will undoubtedly go down as England’s greatest batsman," said the 42-year-old, who represented England in 118 Tests.
Root, currently with 12,402 Test runs, is 3,519 runs shy of breaking Tendulkar's all-time record.