Joe Root became the fastest batter to complete 13,000 runs on Day 1 of the one-Test against Zimbabwe at Nottingham on Thursday.
Root, who got to the 13,000-run mark in his 153rd Test, surpassed Jacques Kallis, who had gone past 13,000 runs in 159 Tests.
The right-hander got to the landmark when he took his score to 28 with a single off Zimbabwe's Victor Nyauchi in the 80th over before he perished for 34, caught at fine leg off pacer Blessing Muzarabani.
He is only the fifth batter to cross 13,000 runs in Tests after Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid.
Among the active batters, Root, 34, looks the only one who could go past Tendulkar's Test record tally of 15,921 runs -- needing 2,916 runs to overtake the batting great's tally.
His current tally reads 13,006 runs in 153 Tests at an average of 50.80, with 36 centuries and 65 fifties.
Root has been the leading batter in Test cricket in the last five years, having hit 5,407 runs in 61 Tests at an average of 54.61, with 19 centuries.
Top 10 run getters in Test cricket:
| Player | Team | Tests | Innings | Runs | Average | Highest | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 200 | 329 | 15921 | 53.79 | 248* | 51 | 68 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 168 | 287 | 13378 | 51.85 | 257 | 41 | 62 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 166 | 280 | 13289 | 55.37 | 224 | 45 | 58 |
| Rahul Dravid | India | 164 | 286 | 13288 | 52.31 | 270 | 36 | 63 |
| Joe Root | England | 153 | 279 | 13006 | 50.80 | 262 | 36 | 65 |
| Alastair Cook | England | 161 | 291 | 12472 | 45.35 | 294 | 33 | 57 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 134 | 233 | 12400 | 57.41 | 319 | 38 | 52 |
| Brian Lara | West Indies | 131 | 232 | 11953 | 52.89 | 400* | 34 | 48 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul | West Indies | 164 | 280 | 11867 | 51.37 | 203* | 30 | 66 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 149 | 252 | 11814 | 49.85 | 374 | 34 | 50 |
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