ENG v IND | Joe Root goes past Steve Smith, Viv Richards, Gary Sobers; records most Test tons against India

Joe Root continued his dream run in Tests, scoring his fifth hundred of the year in the ongoing one-off match against India at Edgbaston. 

Root has broken numerous records in the process, most importantly edging past the likes of Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith, Sir Vivian Richards, and Sir Gary Sobers to record the most Test hundreds against India (9).

In 25 Tests, including the one at Edgbaston, Root scored 2,526 runs at an average of 63.15, including nine tons and ten fifties.

Root has now surpassed his famed competitors, India’s Virat Kohli (27), Australia’s Smith (27), and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson (24) to a landmark 28 Test ton.

Before the start of 2021, Root was stuck on 17 centuries, but he has unleashed himself over the past year. 

Root in 2022 alone has scored 927 runs and is behind teammate Jonny Bairstow, who leads the pack by 994 runs, with six hundreds.

More records

The former England skipper was the leading run-scorer in Tests in 2021, scoring 1,708 runs at an average of 61, including six hundreds and four half-centuries.

Root also became the second England player after Graham Gooch to score over 700+ runs in a Test series against India.

The 31-year-old also became the first English batter after Dennis Compton ( 4 vs South Africa in 1947) to record four centuries in a single Test series, after Herbert Sutcliffe, Wally Hammond, and Compton.

The Yorkshire-born made his England debut in 2012 and has played 120 Tests, 152 ODIs, and 32 T20Is.

He is the second English batter after Sir Alastair Cook to score 10,000 Test runs for the Three Lions.

A handy off-spinner, Root has 46 Test wickets, with a career-best of 5 for 8 against India, apart from his 26 ODI scalps.