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It was a day for the record books at Trent Bridge, and England's very own Joe Root was front and center. While England's top-order batsmen were busy giving Zimbabwe a harsh welcome back to Test cricket on English soil after 22 long years, Root quietly etched his name further into cricket history. He became the fastest man to reach the incredible milestone of 13,000 Test runs, zipping past South African legend Jacques Kallis. This feat also nudges him a step closer to potentially challenging the great Sachin Tendulkar's all-time Test run record.
On a day where England's batters absolutely feasted, Root himself, by his own lofty standards, had a relatively quiet outing. He walked to the crease needing just 28 runs for the record and got them, but was dismissed for 34 by Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani. It happened in his 153rd Test match. The moment came in the 80th over when Root scampered for a single off Victor Nyauchi, surpassing Kallis who had taken 159 matches – six more than Root – to reach the 13,000-run mark.
The 34-year-old's innings ended when Zimbabwe tried a short-ball tactic. Muzarabani dug one in, tempting Root into a pull shot, but he couldn't quite control it and found Sean Williams in the field. As he walked back, perhaps a little frustrated not to have kicked on, Root joined an elite club as only the fifth batsman ever to cross 13,000 Test runs. He now sits 2,916 runs behind Tendulkar's monumental tally of 15,921.
From the get-go, Zimbabwe, who came into this match with a Test win over Bangladesh under their belts, found themselves on the receiving end of England's aggressive "Bazball" approach. After choosing to bowl on a dry-looking surface under Nottingham's cloudy skies, they watched as Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley mercilessly pounced on anything loose.
Duckett was particularly brutal, racing to his fifth Test hundred at exactly a run a ball. Crawley, not to be outdone, reached his own century – his first since July 2023 and after 28 long innings. The pair showcased their hunger for runs, putting on a blistering opening stand of 231, England's highest at home since way back in 1960!
After Wesley Madhevere finally broke the partnership by dismissing Duckett, Ollie Pope came in and simply continued the onslaught. He notched up his third hundred in as many games at Trent Bridge, piling on the misery for the visitors.
By the close of play, England had racked up a staggering 498 for 3 – their highest-ever score on an opening day in England. Pope remained unbeaten on a scintillating 169 from just 163 balls, ensuring Zimbabwe's return to English soil was a truly bruising one.
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