Root could break Tendulkar's run record, says former Aussie captain

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor has backed Joe Root to surpass Sachin Tendulkar as Test cricket's leading run scorer even though the England batter is still nearly 6,000 short of the Indian great's haul.

Root, 31, became the 14th batter to make 10,000 Test runs as his unbeaten century helped England seal a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's on Sunday. 

Tendulkar, the most prolific international run scorer in cricket history, holds the record for the most runs in the game's longest format with a tally of 15,921.

"Root has minimum five years left in him, so I think Tendulkar's record is very achievable," Taylor told Sky Sports.

"Root is batting as well as I have ever seen him bat over the last 18 months to two years.

"He is in the prime of his career, so there is 15,000 runs-plus for him if he stays healthy."

Root, who stepped down as England captain this year, became the second England player after his former team mate Alastair Cook to reach the milestone of 10,000 Test runs.

List of players with 10k Test runs: