WELLINGTON: Joe Root etched his name in the annals of cricket history by becoming the first English cricketer and fourth batsman overall to record 100 scores for more than 50 runs in Test cricket.
Root reached the milestone on Saturday during the second Test match against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve by completing his 65th half-century in his 151st Test match.
The world’s No.1 Test batsman achieved the remarkable feat in the third session of the second day’s play.
With 276 innings played across 151 Tests, the right-hand batsman has already racked up 35 centuries and 65 half-centuries, solidifying his position as England’s all-time leading run-scorer in the format.
Former Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for 50+ Test scores with 119 in his career.
After Tendulkar are South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and Australia’s Ricky Ponting, who recorded 103 50+ scores.
50+ Test Cricket Scores:
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 119
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 103
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 103
- Joe Root (England) – 100
- Rahul Dravid (India) – 99
Despite a poor run of form following his strong start to the series against Pakistan in October, Root’s return to form was a welcome sight.
After scoring 262 runs in the first Test of the series in Multan, he struggled to surpass the 50-run mark in the next seven innings.
However, Saturday’s performance marked his return to top form, with Root adding a solid 55 runs from 85 balls in the second innings.
The 33-year-old also shared a 95-run partnership with Harry Brook for the fourth wicket. Brook, who had already scored a century in the first innings, continued his fine form, scoring 55 runs before being dismissed by Glenn Phillips.
As Root approaches the 1,500-run milestone in 2024, he is on the verge of another milestone. With a further 83 runs needed to reach 1,500 Test runs in the calendar year, Root will join Ricky Ponting as the second player to score 1,500 runs in a Test year on multiple occasions.
