I know this one, Joe Root says with a little grin as he confirms the latest milestone he will reach in Test cricket on Wednesday when England play New Zealand in Christchurch. It will be my 150th Test. We're fortunate to play so much Test cricket compared to other nations, so you can rattle them up rather quickly. But I've had to work hard and overcome different challenges along the way, so I'm very grateful to have had so many chances.
A minute earlier Root had been uncertain when I asked him if he knew what it would mean were he to score another 625 Test runs. A modest and generous man, Root thought hard and then admitted he had no clue. The answer is that, once those runs have been accumulated, he will become the second highest scorer in Test cricket. He will overtake Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting and trail only Sachin Tendulkar.
I've tried not to get too obsessed with that stuff, Root says with a gentle shrug, because it goes against the way I look at the game. They are all niceties but, ultimately, the real enjoyment is when you're sat there after winning a Test over five days of hard graft, enjoying it with your mates. I know it's a cliche but that's what you want more than anything.
The 2019 World Cup final was one of the worst games I've had in an England shirt, but it's one of the best days I've had on a cricket field. That's the beauty of cricket.
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