Root closing in on Tendulkar as both reflect on captaincy and longevity

Watching Sachin Tendulkar play his final Test innings in Mumbai, the author told a friend, "No one will ever break his aggregate record because no one can score 15,000-plus runs given the international schedule and franchise cricket, nor play 200 Tests," and twelve years later England's Joe Root stands 1,644 runs shy of that total.

Longevity emerges as the central theme connecting the two careers: the article notes that sustained performance reflects skill, fitness, consistency and motivation, and recalls Tendulkar overcoming an elbow surgery that once made it difficult for him to lift a cup of tea. The piece records that Tendulkar produced a strong period after that operation and observes that athletes naturally slow with age while the mind and motivation can extend a career. It also states that Tendulkar played 34 Tests after turning 37, scoring 2,474 runs.

The account addresses captaincy’s toll: Tendulkar admitted, "I even contemplated moving away from the sport completely," while Root has said he had "an unhealthy relationship" with captaincy. The narrative credits Ben Stokes with briefly transforming English cricket through the 'Bazball' style developed with coach Brendon McCullum and notes that Root enjoyed batting in that approach, showing strokes that had been dormant.

After Stokes announced his retirement, Root was given a holding captaincy role while Harry Brook served his apprenticeship, and the article says Root relished the job on that occasion. It adds the observation that Root "might yet give us the adult version of Bazball whether he leads or not."

Tendulkar’s late-career objectives are recorded: he aimed to play 200 Tests, with his 200th and final Test at home in Mumbai, and to complete a century of international centuries. The piece cites Sunil Gavaskar's suggestion that anything fewer than 15,000 Test runs for Tendulkar would count as a failure, noting Gavaskar put that point more gently.

Root’s regard for Tendulkar is quoted in full from The Athletic: "It’s remarkable what Sachin Tendulkar achieved in the game. You have to believe me when I say that to even be in the conversation with him is enough for me. The guy made his Test debut before I was born and played in my Test debut! His longevity in itself is remarkable…" The article also records Tendulkar’s reaction when Root surpassed Ricky Ponting (13,378) to become the second highest run-getter in Tests: "To have gone past 13,000 runs is a remarkable achievement, and he’s still going strong. When I saw him for the first time in Nagpur in 2012 during his debut Test, I told my teammates that they were watching the future captain of England. What impressed me most was the way he was able to assess the wicket and how he rotated the strike. I knew at that very moment that he would be a big player."

On his return to captaincy, Root is quoted as saying, "You always want to represent your country in the best possible light. (We must) be really good role models and good human beings." The article concludes that, should the captaincy mantle pass, it "will not find a more honourable man to wear it."

Root turns 36 in December and, with 1,644 runs still required to overtake Tendulkar, the piece frames an ongoing contest between two of their countries' greatest batters while noting the specific run and age figures that will shape whether Root can close the gap.