Joe Root has made English cricket history by setting a new national record for the most Test centuries.
Root achieved this landmark by scoring his 34th Test century during the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, surpassing the previous record held by former England captain Alastair Cook.
Root reached his historic century during England’s second innings on the third day of the match, with a cut shot off Lahiru Kumara for his 10th boundary. His innings of 103 runs contributed significantly to England’s total of 251, setting Sri Lanka a challenging target of 483 runs to win and level the three-match series.
This century was Root’s seventh at Lord’s, making him the sole record-holder for the most Test centuries at the iconic venue. He previously shared this record with England legends Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan, who each scored six centuries at the ‘Home of Cricket’.
Additionally, Root has now joined an exclusive group of cricketers who have scored centuries in both innings of a Test match at Lord’s, alongside West Indies’ George Headley, Gooch, and Vaughan.
Currently playing his 145th Test, Root has ascended to joint-sixth place on the all-time list of Test century-makers, with India’s Sachin Tendulkar leading with 51 centuries. At 33, Root remains the only active Test cricketer among the top century-makers, continuing to enhance his distinguished career.
