NEW DELHI: Joe Root achieved a significant milestone during the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, equaling Alastair Cook’s England record of 33 Test centuries. Despite a nervous moment on 99, Root elegantly guided Lahiru Kumara for a boundary to reach his hundred off 162 deliveries.

Root’s innings came to an end when he was caught by Pathum Nissanka at point for 143, his sixth Test century at the iconic venue.

England’s score stood at 308-7 at the time of his dismissal. The century places Root alongside Cook, who scored his 33 Test centuries over a career spanning 161 Tests, while Root reached the milestone in his 145th match.

The 33-year-old’s century propels him into joint-tenth position on the all-time list of Test century-makers.

The list is topped by Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 51 hundreds in 200 Tests between 1989 and 2013. Notably, Root stands as the only active cricketer among this elite group, with all others having retired from Test cricket.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan took to social media to compare Root’s stats with those of India’s run machine Virat Kohli.

However, Vaughan’s post was met with criticism from Indian fans, who expressed their disapproval of the comparison.

BOX

MOST HUNDREDS IN TEST CRICKET

51 Sachin Tendulkar, India

45 Jacques Kallis, South Africa/ICC

41 Ricky Ponting, Australia

38 Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka

36 Rahul Dravid, India/ICC

34 Sunil Gavaskar, India

34 Brian Lara, West Indies

34 Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka

34 Younis Khan, Pakistan

33 Alastair Cook, England

33 x-Joe Root, England

Agencies

Agencies