Following Joe Root's scintillating run of form, former Aussie spinner, Brad Hogg has backed the Englishman as the only batter with a realistic chance of going past Tendulkar's runs record in Tests, while dismissing Virat Kohli's chances.
BET NOW: Exclusive sign-up offers and bonuses when you bet on cricket action
Root who has been in incredible form for the past few years, currently sits at number 6 in the list of all-time top run-getters in Test cricket, 3519 runs behind the record-holder, Sachin Tendulkar.
The England batter has been backed by several ex-cricketers to surpass Tendulkar's batting record. On the other hand, Kohli's chances of breaking the record look slim with every passing day as he is still 3,531 behind the Englishman and has not had any substantial red-ball form in some time.
READ MORE: WTC 2025 final: Qualification scenarios
Why did Brad Hogg pick Joe Root over Virat Kohli as the batter to break Sachin Tendulkar's Test runs record?
The former Australian left-arm spinner believes that despite dominating in white-ball formats, Virat Kohli's form in Test cricket has faded away in the last few years.
On the other hand, England and Root have played plenty of Test cricket during this period, where the batter has maintained in runs coring form consistently in the format.
"I don't think Virat is going to get there now. I just don't think Virat is going to get there. I think he's lost his momentum and the momentum that he's lost has been for a number of years now. He's got to turn around in the next 10 Test matches, or he's going to drop off," said Brad Hogg on his YouTube channel.
What are Joe Root's chances of breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record?
He also pointed out with his current numbers, Root stands the best chance of surpassing Tendulkar's runs tally, having played 54 fewer Tests than the Indian legend.
"So, Joe Root has 146 Test matches with 12,000 runs. Sachin Tendulkar made nearly 16,000 runs in 200 Test matches. That's 4,000 runs in 66 Tests. I think Joe Root can go close to toppling that," Hogg added.
"I think it's going to be something to watch. Watch out, Joe Root is on the move to beat Sachin Tendulkar. I think quietly he'll have that in the back of his mind to try and topple that little unique stat," he concluded.
See the video here:
Joe Root v Virat Kohli Test Stats:
| Player | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | 50/100 | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root | 146 | 267 | 12402 | 51.67 | 64/34 | 254 |
| Virat Kohli | 114 | 193 | 8871 | 49.01 | 30/29 | 254* |
CLICK HERE TO BET NOW: Exclusive sign-up offers on the latest sporting action across the world