IND vs ENG 5th Test: Root surpasses Ponting for most Test hundreds against India

Joe Root surpassed former Australia captain Ricky Ponting for scoring the most number of Test hundreds against India during the fifth day of the fifth Test.

Joe Root en route to his fifth Test century in 2022 against India on Tuesday.

Joe Root surpassed former Australia captain Ricky Ponting for scoring the most number of Test hundreds against India during the fifth day of the fifth Test between India and England at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Tuesday.

Root's 136-ball hundred was his ninth against India in Test cricket in 45 innings. Ponting had scored eight centuries in 51 innings. Sir Vivian Richards (41 innings), Steven Smith (28 innings), and Sir Garfield Sobers (30 innings) also have eight hundreds against India in the longest format. 

The former England captain Root finds himself in the form of his life and has scored 900* runs in 18 innings at an average of 60.00 in 2022. He also has five hundreds to his name this year.

In his first series after relinquishing Test captaincy, Root scored 396 runs in six innings at an average of 99.00 against New Zealand, including two hundreds and a fifty. The 31-year-old is the leading run-scorer in the ongoing five-match Test series against India with 730 runs in nine innings at an astounding average of 104.28.