"Is 34 his right age?" - Saba Karim lauds Joe Root's century in ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Former India player Saba Karim has lauded Joe Root for scoring a century in England's first innings of the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He noted that the former England captain doesn't look like a 34-year-old, considering the energy and intensity he shows on the field.

Root scored 150 runs off 248 balls as England ended Day 3 (Friday, July 25) in Manchester at 544/7. The hosts enjoy a 186-run lead, having bowled India out for 358 in their first innings earlier in the game.

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Saba was asked about Root's chances of breaking at least Sachin Tendulkar's 200-Test record, considering he is just 34 years old.

"Is 34 his right age? He seems like a 30-year-old to me, the way he is running. The energy and intensity with which he is batting is exceptional. He is the England team's biggest strength. I feel England have made up their mind that they have entertained enough and that they will not only entertain, but win matches as well now," he responded.

While observing that he wouldn't want to compare Root with Tendulkar, the former India wicketkeeper-batter added that the Yorkshireman has the best record among modern-day batters.

"They are going to the ground with that thought process in this WTC cycle. Joe Root needs to score runs for that thought process. We won't talk about the No. 1, but he has reached the top among contemporary modern batters. You can have such a long career when you keep working on your game, and that's what Joe Root has done," Saba observed.

Joe Root, who is playing his 157th Test, has amassed 13409 runs at an average of 51.17. He is only behind Sachin Tendulkar (15921 runs at an average of 53.78 in 200 Tests) in aggregate runs.

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"He knows how to score runs on any wicket and against any bowler" - RP Singh on Joe Root after century in ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Joe Root scored his 12th Test century against India. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, former India pacer RP Singh praised Joe Root for his ability to formulate game plans based on the pitch and the opposition bowlers.

"He batted extremely well. As Saba bhai said, he has consistently improved his game. Along with that, he knows how to score runs on any wicket and against any bowler. You need to make a game plan for batting. You need to know how to play out the tough time when the bowlers are bowling well from both ends," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Root is leaving his imprint even with England's ultra-aggressive batting approach.

"You can do that only if you have belief in your game. It's not like he plays a lot of shots. He was playing a lot of shots in between, and we are seeing the reverse sweeps and sweeps again. He took the Indian bowlers on remand. He is leaving his impact even in this Bazball era," Singh observed.

Joe Root struck 14 fours during his 150-run knock. He stitched century partnerships with Ollie Pope (71 off 128) and Ben Stokes (77* off 134) to give England the upper hand in the Manchester Test.

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Edited by Kartik Iyer