Root’s rise is the most significant of the latest update and he ticked off an arguably bigger landmark during the Test itself when he went past Brian Lara’s Test match tally of 11,953 to become the seventh highest run-getter in the format’s history. At 12,207, Root has the most runs among active Test cricketers with Steven Smith (9685) and Virat Kohli (8848) behind him. His first time at the top of the Test batting rankings was August 2015 and he was last there in June 2023, after a fine performance in the opening match of the Ashes series.