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Joe Root has remembered IndiaтАЩs dominant 2002 Headingley Test victory, when hundreds from Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid left EnglandтАЩs bowlers toiling all day.
Joe Root in action for England against New Zealand on Day 4 of 2nd Test. (Picture Credit: AP)
England Test skipper Joe Root has said that his first experience of watching a Test with a local cricket club at Headingley was during IndiaтАЩs tour of England in 2002, during which he watched an onslaught on English bowlers by batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.
The likes of Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid and Virender Sehwag were part of the Indian playing XI for that 2002 Test. With the track offering plenty for the bowlers, GangulyтАЩs decision to bat first after winning the toss surprised the English experts.
India, however, went on to pile up a mammoth 628/8 declared, with Tendulkar (193), Ganguly (128) and Dravid (148) all scoring hundreds, before sealing a thumping innings-and-46-run win.
тАЬIndia won the toss and batted first and I watched one wicket all day. It was Rahul Dravid (148) and Sourav Ganguly (128) who got a boatload of runs and that is one where Sachin got, I donтАЩt know how much,” Root said while speaking to┬аThe Daily Mail.
тАЬIt was a tough toil for the England bowlers, but that was my first experience of coming here with a local cricket club. It was with Rotherham Town, actually. And they took the Under 11s out to watch the game and it was a great experience,” Root added.
10 years later, a 21-year-old Root made his Test debut against an Indian team still built around Tendulkar. On Tuesday, the England skipper moved past the Indian great by completing 23,000 international runs during the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Durham.
RootтАЩs second stint as EnglandтАЩs Test skipper started at Headingley in August, the home ground of YorkshireтАЩs favourite son. By his own admission, there could hardly have been a more fitting venue for his return to the leadership.
тАЬAbsolutely no pressure at all,” Root said at Headingley when England turned to him as a quick solution to a leadership crisis, off-field scandals and the underperformance of a team that, at the very least, should have competed in a World Test Championship final.
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Ask News18During his first experience watching a Test match at Headingley in 2002, Joe Root witnessed standout performances from batting legends Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid.
Ask News18September 26, 2026, 07:47 IST
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