Multan: English batter Joe Root continued his dream scoring run in Test cricket with a magnificent century in the ongoing first Test between Pakistan and England at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Root, who became the leading run-getter for England in Tests earlier in the day, smashed his 35th ton to surpass a list of legendary cricketers.
After reaching the three-figure mark, Root overtook Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar, West Indies icon Brian Lara, Pakistan great Younis Khan and Sri Lankan batting maestro Mahela Jayawardena in the leading centurions list.
With his fifth century this calendar year, Root also joined an elite list of batters who have scored five or more centuries in multiple calendar years. Root has scored five or more centuries in 2021, 2022 and 2024., With plenty of action still left this calendar year, he could add more to his tally.
Joe Root is going for Number 51 🚀💯
Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most Test centuries is under serious threat 😲 pic.twitter.com/5mx3EwMW92
— Sport360° (@Sport360) October 9, 2024
Root rises to unimaginable heights
Once put alongside Australia’s Steven Smith, India’s Virat Kohli, and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson in the ‘Fab-four’ bracket, Root has left everyone in his wake in the last 3.5 years. Since 2021, Root has hit 18 centuries, ten more than any other player barring Williamson, who is placed at a distant second with nine tons.
Compare this extraordinary stat to his first seven years in Test cricket when he scored 17 centuries between 2013 and 2020.
Root’s tally of 18 tons since 2021, astonishingly, is more than the combined aggregate of his ‘Fab Four’ peers Williamson (9), Smith (6), and Kohli (2).
This was Root’s first Test ton in Pakistan and seventh in the sub-continent (3 each in India and Sri Lanka) – an anomaly for an English cricketer who is used to pace-friendly conditions and not the spin and dry wickets in the sub-continent.
 ENG vs PAK: Joe Root slams his 35th Test century to surpass several legendary cricketers in the leading centurions list.  Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
