Masterstroke! When Sachin Tendulkar predicted England's 'future captain' - and was 100% right

NEW DELHI: India's cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar revisited a special memory, recalling the moment he realised Joe Root was destined to be a major force for England and a future captain. Root made his Test debut on December 13, 2012, against India in Nagpur, a period when Tendulkar was nearing the end of his illustrious career. Watching from close quarters, Sachin was left stunned by the youngster’s composure and technique.With England reeling at 119/4 in the first innings, Root displayed textbook batting and assured footwork against India’s spinners. On his maiden subcontinental outing, he absorbed pressure, faced 229 balls, and scored 73 crucial runs to take England to 330. His knock helped secure a draw, sealing England’s historic 2-1 Test series win in India.Since then, Root has only grown in stature, becoming England’s Test captain in 2017 after Alastair Cook’s retirement and leading until 2022."To have gone past 13,000 Test runs is a remarkable achievement, and he is 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," Sachin wrote during a Q&A session on Reddit.In the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Root crossed 13,000 Test runs, closing in on Sachin’s record tally of 15,921. With 13,543 runs to his name, he now needs 2,378 more to match the Indian great. Root will aim to narrow that gap in England’s next Test series — the Ashes against Australia, starting November 21 in Perth.