ENG vs SL: Joe Root breaks Alastair Cook's record with 34th Test hundred

Joe Root set a new benchmark in English cricket by scoring his 34th Test century during the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's. Root, who had already scored 143 in the first innings, equaled and then surpassed the previous England record of 33 centuries held by Alastair Cook, doing so in his 145th Test compared to Cook’s 161 matches.

Root’s century on the third day, achieved with a cut shot off Lahiru Kumara, marked his seventh Test hundred at Lord's, breaking the record he previously shared with Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan for the most centuries at the iconic ground. This milestone also placed Root among an elite group of players who have scored centuries in both innings of a Test at Lord's, joining George Headley, Gooch, and Vaughan.

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While Root’s performance at Lord’s was remarkable, Gooch still holds the record for the highest run tally in a single Test at the venue, with his 456 runs against India in 1990. Root’s latest achievement has also elevated him to joint-sixth place on the all-time list of Test century-makers, a list led by India’s Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed 51 centuries in 200 Tests.

ð—ç𝗵𝗲 moment.

Joe Root goes above Sir Alastair Cook to score the most Test hundreds for England 🐐 pic.twitter.com/cD5aCXl1Id — England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 31, 2024

Root was the final man to fall for England on the day as they scored 251 runs, and extend their lead to 482 runs andc giving the visitors a tough target to chase.

Records by Joe Root with 34th Test hundred

Most Test hundreds for England

34 - Joe Root

33 - Alastair Cook

23 - Kevin Pietersen

22 - Wally Hammond

22 - Colin Cowdrey

22 - Geoffrey Boycott

22 - Ian Bell

England batters with most Test hundreds at a venue

7 - Joe Root at Lord’s

6 - Graham Gooch at Lord’s

6 - Michael Vaughan at Lord’s

50 or more hundreds in international cricket

100 - Sachin Tendulkar

80 - Virat Kohli

71 - Ricky Ponting

63 - Kumar Sangakkara

62 - Jacques Kallis

55 - Hashim Amla

54 - Mahela Jayawardene

53 - Brian Lara

50 - Joe Root

Hundreds in both innings of a Test at Lord’s

106 & 107 - George Headley (WI) vs ENG, 1939

333 & 123 - Graham Gooch (ENG) vs IND, 1990

103 & 101* - Michael Vaughan (ENG) vs WI, 2004

143 & 103* - Joe Root (ENG) vs SL, 2024

Published By: alan john Published On: Aug 31, 2024

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