ENG vs SL: Joe Root equals Cook’s record for most Test centuries by England batter

Root equalled former captain Alastair Cook’s tally of Test hundreds to become the joint-highest century-maker in the format for England.

England’s Joe Root plays a shot. | Photo Credit: AFP

Joe Root struck his 33rd Test ton during the opening day of the second Test between England and Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Thursday.

Root equalled former captain Alastair Cook’s tally of Test hundreds to become the joint-highest century-maker in the format for England. During his knock on Thursday, Root also went past Cook for the most Test runs scored on English soil.

Root was stuck on 99 for 12 balls in a row before guiding Lahiru Kumara’s delivery between slip and gully for a boundary and bringing up the three-figure mark.

The 33-year-old also went level with Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan for scoring the most Test hundreds (6) at Lord’s.

MOST TEST HUNDREDS FOR ENGLAND

1. Joe Root - 33 hundreds in 264 innings
2. Alastair Cook - 33 hundreds in 291 innings
3. Kevin Pietersen - 23 hundreds in 181 innings
4. Wally Hammond - 22 hundreds in 140 innings
5. Colin Cowdrey - 22 hundreds in 188 innings
6. Geoff Boycott - 22 hundreds in 193 innings
7. Ian Bell - 22 hundreds in 205 innings