Joe Root etched his name in the history books on Day One of the third Test at Lord’s by smashing yet another gritty half-century. The 34-year-old reached a towering milestone against India as he continued to scale new heights in Test cricket.
New Delhi: England star batter, Joe Root, once again showcased his class on Day One of the Third Test against India at the historic Lords Cricket Ground. With the series tied at 1-1 and early wickets tumbling Root walked in under pressure and took charge after England lost Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in the 14th over to Nitish Kumar Reddy with only 43 runs on the board.
Solid partnership with Ollie Pope keeps England steady
Root partnered with Ollie Pope, to build a crucial stand that rescued England from a potential collapse. Their partnership laid the foundation for a strong first innings, with Root playing the anchor role and absorbing pressure from the Indian bowling attack.
Fifty in 102 Balls and a record breaking innings
Root reached his half century in 102 balls marking his 13th Test fifty against India. This is also his 23rd score of fifty or more against India, which is the most by any batter in Test history against the Indian team.
Joe Root becomes first ever to score 3000 Test Runs against India
In a monumental achievement Root became the first player in the history of Test cricket to score 3000 runs against India. The 34 year-old right-hander, had previously overtaken Ricky Ponting during England’s tour of India, and now he has gone past yet another iconic benchmark.
Ninth player overall to score 3000 runs against one opponent
With this feat Root becomes just the ninth batter in Test history to score over 3000 runs against a single opposition. He is the first ever to do it against a team that is not Australia or England making this an unprecedented achievement.
Joins legendary company in English cricket
Root now joins Jack Hobbs and David Gower as the only English players to score over 3000 Test runs against one side. Both Hobbs and Gower did it against Australia, Root is the first to do so against India and the only one from any nation to reach the milestone against a non Ashes side.
Crosses 4000 runs across formats against India
Not just in Tests, Root also crossed 4000 runs in international cricket against India across all formats. He is now the fourth player to do this joining a legendary list, that includes Ricky Ponting Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
103rd 50 plus score in Tests equals Kallis and Ponting
With this knock Root now has 103 scores of fifty or more in Test cricket. This equals the records of Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting Only Sachin Tendulkar with 119 has more in Test history.
Root cements his legacy as a modern day great
Joe Root continues to break barriers and redefine consistency in modern cricket. His ability to deliver in crunch situations and keep rewriting the record books makes him not just an English legend, but one of the greatest Test batters of all time. His latest feats at Lords, are a testament to his unmatched skill hunger and commitment to the longest format of the game.
