London, July 11 (UNI) England’s batting maestro Joe Root etched his name deeper into cricketing history, surpassing legends Rahul Dravid and Steve Smith to enter the top five list of most Test centuries, with his latest ton—his 37th—coming in spectacular fashion at Lord’s.
Root now trails only Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), Ricky Ponting (41), and Kumar Sangakkara (38) in the all-time list of Test hundred-makers. His innings also marked his third consecutive century at the Home of Cricket—following previous scores of 143 and 103—making him only the third player to score three successive Test centuries at Lord’s after Jack Hobbs (1912–1926) and Michael Vaughan (2004–2005).
Demonstrating remarkable consistency against India, Root’s century was his 11th in Tests against the subcontinental giants—matching Steve Smith’s tally in 46 innings, though Root achieved it in 60.
Significantly, Root’s latest milestone came in 192 deliveries, marking it the third-slowest Test hundred in England’s aggressive “Bazball” era—slower only than his own 219-ball ton in Ranchi in 2024 and Ben Foakes’ 206-ball century against South Africa in 2022.
Root’s anchoring presence continues to be a bedrock for England’s red-ball ambitions, even as the team reshapes its aggressive approach under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.
