Joe Root surpasses Alastair Cook to create new English record, equals Lara, Gavaskar with another century vs Sri Lanka

Joe Root etched his name in history on Saturday by smashing a century in the second innings of the Test against Sri Lanka, thus surpassing England great Alastair Cook. Root became the first English batter to score 34 Test centuries. Root had equaled Cook’s record of 33 centuries in the first innings with a brilliant 143 off 206 balls. England's Joe Root celebrates after reaching his century (Action Images via Reuters)

This match marked a significant first for Root, as it was the first time in his illustrious career that he scored centuries in both innings of a Test match. The century in the second innings not only solidified his position as England's premier batter but also elevated him to another historic achievement.

Root also became the first English player to score 50 centuries in international cricket, a milestone that includes his 34 Test hundreds and 16 ODI tons, the latter of which is also a record for England.

Here's the list of highest Test centurions for England:

Joe Root - 34*

Alastair Cook - 33

Kevin Pietersen - 23

Wally Hammond - 22

Colin Cowdrey - 22

Geoffrey Boycott and Ian Bell also ended their respective England careers with 22 Test centuries to their name.

Here's the list of the most centurions for England across all formats:

Joe Root - 50

Alastair Cook - 38

Kevin Pietersen - 32

Graham Gooch - 28

Andrew Strauss - 27

Root’s second innings at Lord’s was even more special as it saw him break another of Cook’s records, this time for the most runs scored by an English player in Tests against Sri Lanka. Cook had amassed 1290 runs in 16 Tests against the island nation, but Root has now surpassed that mark.

Record scorer at Lord's

Adding to his list of records, Root also became the leading run-scorer in Test matches at Lord’s, surpassing the legendary Graham Gooch’s tally of 2015 runs. His second century in the match also made him the first player to notch up seven Test centuries at this iconic venue.

Overall, Root has now equalled an elite list of players who also ended their career with 34 centuries: West Indies' Brian Lara, Pakistan's Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar of India, and former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene.

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