Joe Root Archives

Joe Root shatters Kumar Sangakkara’s record with century against India

LONDON: England ace batter Joe Root etched his name into the record books on Sunday during the final Test against India at The Oval, surpassing Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara.

The right-handed batter who scored his 38th Test century arrived at the crease when England were 82-2 on day five morning.

The Three Lions lost their well-set opener Ben Duckett, who made 54 off 83 balls with the help of six fours.

With England needing a daunting 292 to win in a record chase, Joe Root began cautiously and kept scoring runs to help his team get out of trouble.

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In doing so, he scored his 39th Test century, surpassing Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 38 tons in the longest form of the game.

Most Test Centuries

1. Sachin Tendulkar – 51 in 200 matches

2. Jacques Kallis – 45 in 166 matches

3. Ricky Ponting – 41 in 167 matches

4. Joe Root – 39* in 159 matches

5. Kumar Sangakkar 38 in 134 matches

Additionally, he became the first-ever player to score over 6,000 runs in the World Test Championship (WTC).

Currently, the ace batter is leading the runs chart in WTC at an outstanding average of 52, followed by Australia’s Steve Smith with 4,278 runs in 55 games in the Championship cycle.

The third on the list is also Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne, who has accumulated 4,225 runs in 53 Tests.

Most runs in World Test Championship:

1. Joe Root 6076* runs in 69* matches

2. Steve Smith 4278 runs in 55 matches

3. Marnus Labuschagne 4225 runs in 53 matches

4. Ben Stokes 3616 runs in 57 matches

5. Travis Head 3300 runs in 52 matches

At the time of filing this story, England were cruising at 325, with 49 more runs needed to win the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy.

Joe Root was on 101* from 135 balls, whereas Jacob Bethell remained unbeaten on one from 22 balls.

READ: WATCH: Mohammed Siraj’s dropped catch helps Harry Brook reach century

Stuart Broad responds to David Warner’s ‘surfboard’ jibe at Joe Root ahead of Ashes

Former England pacer Stuart Broad has hit back at ex-Australia opener David Warner, who took a cheeky dig at Three Lions ace batter Joe Root ahead of the Ashes 2025.

Warner, who is set to feature in The Hundred, shared his views on Joe Root during a recent show with the BBC Sports.

“The big anchor there is Rooty, who is yet to score a hundred in Australia,” Warner said.

“Hazlewood tends to have his number quite a lot. He will have to take the surfboard off his front leg,” he added.

Bowlers To Dismiss Joe Root Most Times in Tests

11 – Pat Cummins (AUS)

11 – Jasprit Bumrah (IND)

10 – Josh Hazlewood (AUS)

9 – Ravindra Jadeja (IND)

England’s ace batter Joe Root has notched up 15 Test centuries since the start of 2022 at a stellar average of 64.64; however, the right-hander has struggled in Australia, scoring only 892 runs at a modest average of 35.68 according to his standards.

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Interestingly, Joe Root, who has 37 Test centuries to his name, is yet to score a ton in Australia, having played 15 matches so far.

Now, Stuart Broad has replied to Warner’s comments, specifically addressing the reference to ‘surfboard’.

“I’ve never heard England’s best ever batters front pad called a surfboard,” Broad tweeted. Just for clarity. Hazlewood has got Rooty LBW in Test cricket three times. Three,” Broad remarked on his X handle.

Most LBW dismissals in Tests since 2013

51 – Joe Root (ENG)

36 – Virat Kohli (IND)

33 – Steve Smith (AUS)

31 – Kraigg Brathwaite (WI)

30 – Jonny Bairstow (ENG)

Joe Root has been dismissed LBW the most (51) times since the start of 2013, accounting for 19.39 percent of his wickets. Notably, the recently retired Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, who will be featuring in the Ashes 2025, are in second and third spots, respectively.

Most LBW dismissals in Tests since 2013

51 – Joe Root (ENG)

36 – Virat Kohli (IND)

33 – Steve Smith (AUS)

31 – Kraigg Brathwaite (WI)

30 – Jonny Bairstow (ENG)

For the unversed, the Ashes 2025 will commence on 21 November at the Perth Cricket Stadium in Australia, with the home team currently holding the trophy after retaining it in 2023 with a 2-2 draw against England.

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Joe Root shatters Ponting’s record to become second-highest run-getter in Tests

MANCHESTER: England batting maestro Joe Root etched his name in history on Friday, surpassing legends Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, and Jacques Kallis all in one innings here at Old Trafford.

Following his record-breaking knock, the talismanic batter is now sitting in the second position in all-time leading run-scorers in Test cricket.

Joe Root resumed his innings with an overnight score of 11 in the fourth India-England Test and quickly surpassed records held by Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis within just two balls.

When he reached 30 runs, he played a shot to deep third during the fourth delivery of the 56th over, which allowed him to pass Dravid’s record and tie with Kallis.

Most Career Runs in Test Matches

Sachin Tendulkar (IND) – 15921 runs

Joe Root (ENG) – 13409*

Ricky Ponting (AUS) – 13378

Jacques Kallis (SA) – 13289

Rahul Dravid (IND) – 13288

Subsequently, on the first ball of the next over, he pushed the ball to the covers to topple Jacques Kallis’ record in Test cricket. In doing so, he became the third-highest run scorer in the longest form of the game.

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The batting maestro also scored his 38th century, putting his team into a dominant position. He went past Ricky Ponting when he steered India pacer Anshul Kamboj to deep point for a single to reach 120.

He was eventually caught after scoring a mammoth 150 runs off 248 balls. With his record-breaking innings, Root now trails only India’s Sachin Tendulkar on the all-time runs charts.

Following his record-breaking feat, the Old Trafford crowd gave him a standing ovation— a venue where Joe Root amassed 1000 runs, hence becoming the first batter to do so.

Joe Root’s monumental knock also moved up to second on the list of the most half-centuries in Test cricket. His knock pushed him past Ponting’s and Kallis, placing him second only to Tendulkar in terms of half-centuries.

Most 50-plus scores in Test cricket

119 – Sachin Tendulkar
104 – Joe Root
103 – Ricky Ponting
103 – Jacques Kallis
99 – Rahul Dravid

England finished the day in a commanding position at 544-7, leading ahead in the match by 186 runs with still two days’ play remaining. Ben Stokes is unbeaten on 77*, and Liam Dawson scored 21* off 52 balls.

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Joe Root overtakes Dravid, Kallis to become third-highest Test run scorer

MANCHESTER: England batting maestro Joe Root on Friday shattered multiple records in the fourth Test against India, surpassing legends Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, and Jacques Kallis here at Old Trafford.

The 34-year-old achieved the feat in the space of two balls in the 56th and 57th overs, respectively. First, he tucked down the fourth delivery to deep third to go past Dravid and level with Kallis.

On the first ball of the next over, he pushed the ball to the covers to topple Jacques Kallis’ record in Test cricket. In doing so, he became the third-highest run scorer in the longest form of the game.

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With this milestone, Root now trails only Australia’s Ricky Ponting and India’s Sachin Tendulkar in the all-time runs charts.

Most Career Runs in Test Matches

Sachin Tendulkar (IND) – 15921 runs

Ricky Ponting (AUS) – 13378

Joe Root (ENG) – 13357*

Jacques Kallis (SA) – 13289

Rahul Dravid (IND) – 13288

Along with runs tally, Joe Root also moved up to second on the list of the most half-centuries in Test cricket. His knock pushed him past Ponting’s and Kallis, placing him second only to Tendulkar in terms of half-centuries.

Most 50-plus scores in Test cricket

119 – Sachin Tendulkar
104 – Joe Root
103 – Ricky Ponting
103 – Jacques Kallis
99 – Rahul Dravid

At the time of filing this story, England were in a commanding position at 383-4, just 25 runs behind India’s first innings total. Joe Root is eyeing another century, currently not out on 95, while Ben Stokes is batting on 14*.

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‘He didn’t listen to me when I was captain’: Joe Root issues bold statement on Ben Stokes

Batting maestro Joe Root has hailed England captain Ben Stokes for putting his body on the line against India in the third Test, eventually resulting in a thrilling 22-run victory at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

The three-lions captain Stokes stood tall with his all-round performance, which helped his team in securing a 2-1 lead over the visitors at the home of cricket.

Ben Stokes’ remarkable resilience and leadership were on full display during the fifth day of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy third Test.

The all-rounder bowled the most number of overs, 44 in the match, including a tireless spell of 9.2 overs on the final day’s morning and another 10 overs late in the day to help England seal a memorable win.

Overall, Ben Stokes took five wickets along with 77 runs with the willow and a match-turning run-out of Rishabh Pant in India’s first essay.

Now, Joe Root, who captained England before Stokes, lauded him and revealed some interesting insights behind his work ethic.

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“He doesn’t always listen to me. He didn’t listen to me when I was captain, Root revealed.

“But, no, he knows what he’s doing and he’s got a good handle on where he’s at physically. It was an incredible effort,” he said while praising Stokes.

Joe Root called the skipper the man of the moment and a change-maker who makes things happen.

“He’s just desperate to be the man and make things happen. Incredible effort to be able to do that,” Root added.

The top-order batter stated that he was nervous due to Stokes’ bowling effort and called it an excellent sign for the England team.

“I was just panicking that he wasn’t going to make it through the game after a couple of bad injuries, but he clearly trusts his body now. It’s a great sign for us moving forward. I mean it really is isn’t it, because that’s back to his best,” he concluded.

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Joe Root adds another feather to his cap, breaks world record with stunning catch

LONDON: England’s batting maestro Joe Root achieved another milestone on Friday as he became the all-time leading catcher during the third Test against India at Lord’s.

Joe Root is shattering multiple records in Test cricket. Earlier on the morning of day two, Joe Root surpassed cricketing legends Rahul Dravid and Steve Smith after notching up his 37th century.

After scoring the ton on the first ball of the day, Root climbed an elite list of most Test centuries. By doing so, he went past Dravid and Steve Smith, both of whom had 36, and edged closer to Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, who has 38.

Most Centuries in Test Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 51
Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 45
Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 41
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 38
Joe Root (England) – 37*

Now, Root has surpassed the record of former India captain Rahul Dravid for taking the most catches in the longest form of the game.

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The 34-year-old demonstrated excellent athleticism when he caught a one-hander stunner of well-set Karun Nair (40) in the first slip off Ben Stokes’ bowling in the 20th over.

Ben Stokes bowled it on the shorter side of a length, which squared up Karun Nair, and Root took it brilliantly to end Nair’s resistance at the home of cricket.

At the time of filing this report, India were 80 for 2 in the last session of Day 2 in their first innings, with KL Rahul (25) and Shubman Gill (2) on the crease.

Most Catches For a Fielder in Tests

211* – Joe Root (296 inns)

210 – Rahul Dravid (301 inns)

205 – Mahela Jayawardene (270 inns)

200 – Steve Smith (225 inns)

200 – Jacques Kallis (315 inns)

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Joe Root surpasses Rahul Dravid, Steve Smith’s record in Lord’s Test against India

LONDON: England’s premier batter Joe Root achieved another milestone on Friday by surpassing cricketing legends Rahul Dravid and Steve Smith with his 37th century during the third Test against India at Lord’s.

Root brought up the milestone on Day 2 of the ongoing Test, displaying his trademark fluency and calm under pressure.

With this hundred, he now sits fifth on the list of most Test centuries, going past Dravid and Smith, both of whom had 36, and edging closer to Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, who has 38.

Most Centuries in Test Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 51
Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 45
Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 41
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 38
Joe Root (England) – 37*

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At the time of filing this report, England were 297 for 7 in the first session of Day 2 in their first innings, with Jamie Smith (25) and Brydon Carse (9) on the crease.

On the first day, England’s top order made starts but failed to convert. Zak Crawley (18) and Ben Duckett (23) were removed early, while Ollie Pope added a fluent 44.

Harry Brook struggled to get going and departed for 11, while captain Ben Stokes also fell for 44 after a watchful knock.

The five-match series is currently locked at 1-1. England drew first blood with a win at Headingley, but India stormed back with a massive 336-run victory in the second Test at Edgbaston, powered by Shubman Gill’s double ton and a century in each innings.

England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj

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Joe Root’s masterclass keeps India at bay on opening day of Lord’s Test

Joe Root composed 99* checked the visitors’ progress on the opening day of the India vs England third Test at Lord’s.

England were 251-4 at stumps, with Joe Root coming in when they were faltering at 44-2 after paceman Nitish Kumar Reddy struck twice in his first over to remove openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley.

But not for the first time in his 156 Test-career, the 34-year-old Root bailed England out of trouble.

England captain Ben Stokes, who won the toss at a sun-drenched Lord’s, was 39 not out after helping Joe Root, his predecessor as skipper, add an unbroken 79 for the fifth wicket.

Root also shared a grinding partnership of 109 in 35 overs with Ollie Pope, who made 44 after almost being out for a golden duck.

Much of the pre-match talk had focused on the return of Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, after he was rested for India’s 336-run thrashing of England at Edgbaston last week that levelled the five-match series at 1-1.

But it was Reddy, the fourth seamer deployed by India captain Shubman Gill on Thursday, who struck twice in four balls on the way to figures of 2-46 in 14 overs.

With his third ball, the 22-year-old had left-hander Duckett (23) well caught down the legside by diving wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant off a gloved pull.

Next ball, the often skittish Pope almost fell for a duck when he threw his bat at an outswinger, with Gill just unable to hold a tough chance low to his right in the gully.

But with the last ball of the over, Reddy produced a superb full-length delivery that swung late and straightened off the pitch before taking Crawley’s outside edge to give Pant a simple catch as the Kent batter fell for 18.

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Pope, following his first-ball reprieve, had several more nervy moments, chasing a wide delivery from Bumrah he could have left alone before a loose shot off Reddy fell just short of third slip.

Root, second behind England team-mate Harry Brook in the Test batting rankings, was far more assured as he went to fifty with a glance through fine leg off Reddy — his seventh four in 102 balls faced.

England were 153-2 at tea with Root unbeaten on 54 and Pope 44 not out.

But the very first ball after the interval saw Pope drive loosely at left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, with reserve wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, on the field after Pant suffered a finger injury in the second session, holding an excellent shoulder-high catch off a fast-travelling edge.

New batter Brook only managed 11 before he was bowled between bat and pad by Bumrah after failing to get forward to a nip-back ball. Bumrah ended the day with a miserly return of 1-35 in 18 overs.

England were now 172-4 as Stokes, without a Test hundred since an Ashes century against Australia at Lord’s two years ago, walked out to bat.

The left-hander had made 27 when Reddy had a tight lbw review turned down on the umpire’s call. He then called for the England physio after suffering what appeared to be a groin injury.

Root, however, continued to bat with his customary class, an on-driven four off Reddy, taking the former England captain to 80.

But with play held up by a swarm of flying ants, and Stokes unable to get off strike as he defended Akash Deep’s final two balls of the day, Root was left one run shy of what would be his 37th Test hundred and a record-extending eighth century at Lord’s.

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Joe Root joins elite list, equals Rahul Dravid’s world record

LEEDS: England batting maestro Joe Root has joined an elite list in the ongoing Test against India, equalling former great Rahul Dravid’s record of most catches in Test cricket.

Root etched his name into the record books after taking the catch of India’s Shardul Thakur at first slip. With this catch, the veteran grabbed his 210th grab in the longest form of the game.

Joe Root now requires one more catch to go past Rahul Dravid for the most catches in Test cricket by a non-wicketkeeper.

Rahul Dravid took 210 catches in 164 matches, while Joe Root has reached the feat 10 innings quicker than him.

Most catches for a fielder in Tests
210* – Joe Root (293 inns)

210 – Rahul Dravid (301 inns)

205 – Mahela Jayawardene (270 inns)

200 – Jacques Kallis (315 inns)

200 – Steve Smith (223 inns)

Before heading into the first Test here at Headingley, Root grabbed 208 catches. However, he caught KL Rahul in the first and Shardul Thakur in the second innings to level with the former India captain.

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The right-hander is also England’s most successful catches across formats with 316 catches, ahead of former great Paul Collingwood, who has 219 catches to his name.

Moreover, the record-breaker Root is on the verge of surpassing Rickey Ponting in terms of runs tally. Root now requires 345 runs to surpass Australia legend, while he needs 91 more to break Rahul Dravid’s record.

Top five run-scorers in Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar 15921 in Tests
Ricky Ponting 13378 in 168 Tests
Jacques Kallis 13289 in 166 Tests
Rahul Dravid 13288 in 164 Tests
Joe Root 13034* in 154 Tests
India has set England a 371-run target, with the aid of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul’s sublime centuries. England ended day four on 21-0 with 350 more required.

READ: Joe Root eyes major milestones against India during five-match Test series

Joe Root eyes major milestones against India during five-match Test series

England batting maestro Joe Root is on the verge of achieving multiple milestones during the five-match Test series against India, set to commence on 20 June at Leeds.

The star batter will be eyeing to move up to second in the list of the highest run getters in Test cricket, surpassing Australia legend Ricky Ponting, who has amassed 13,378 runs in 168 Tests at an average of 51.85 with 42 centuries.

Joe Root, who recently crossed the 13,000 run-mark in the one-off historic test against Zimbabwe, requires 373 runs to surpass Ponting. Moreover, he needs 282 runs to cross India legend Rahul Dravid, while 283 to South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis.

Top five run-scorers in Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar 15921 in Tests
Ricky Ponting 13378 in 168 Tests
Jacques Kallis 13289 in 166 Tests
Rahul Dravid 13288 in 164 Tests
Joe Root 13006* in 153 Tests

Apart from this, reaching this feat, Joe Root will also aim to surpass Rahul Dravid’s highest-ever batting average in India-England Tests.

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The highest run-getter for England in Tests, Root, was in sublime form in the previous ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, amassing 1968 runs in 22 Tests.

The right-handed batter’s runs came at a staggering average of 54.66, with seven tons and an equal number of half-centuries, including a mammoth career-best 262 against Pakistan in Multan.

Joe Root could also become the first-ever batter to score 6,000 runs in WTC history. Currently, he has 5,543 runs in 64 matches at an average of 51.80 centuries and 21 fifties in 117 innings.

India vs England Test Series Schedule:

1st Test: Friday, June 20, Leeds
2nd Test: Wednesday, July 2, Birmingham
3rd Test: Thursday, July 10, London
4th Test: Wednesday, July 23, Manchester
5th Test: Thursday, July 31, London

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