England batting star Joe Root continued to break records during his masterful knock on Day 3 of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan. The 33-year-old brought up his 35th Test hundred, an hour after going past Alastair Cook in the all-time list of leading run-getters for England in the traditional format. Root's hundred helped England dominate proceedings with the bat on a flat pitch at Multan Cricket Ground.
Joe Root came up with a muted celebration as he acknowledged the applause from the England dressing room and kissed the badge on his helmet. Earlier in the day, Root broke into the top five of all-time run-scorers list in Tests after he went past Alastair Cook's tally of 12,472.
It was Joe Root's first hundred in Pakistan in his fourth Test in the Asian country. Root had gone past the fifty-run mark only once in three Tests during England's 3-0 win in Pakistan in 2022. However, the star batter looked in complete control, continuing his golden patch in 2024.
With his 35th Test hundred, Joe Root went past Brian Lara, Sunil Gavaskar, Younis Khan and Mahela Jayawardene In the list of Test batters with most hundreds. He is now one behind Rahul Dravid in the all-time list. Root also moved to the sixth spot in the list, led by Sachin Tendulkar who finished his storied career with a record tally of 51 hundreds.
1. Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 51 in 200 matches
2. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) - 45 in 166 matches
3. Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 41 in 168 matches
4. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) - 38 in 134 matches
5. Rahul Dravid (India) - 36 in 164 matches
6. Joe Root (India) - 35 in 147 matches
7. Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene - 34
Like always, Joe Root held the England innings together as the tourists Bazballed in response to Pakistan's mammoth first innings total of 556. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley (78) adn Ben Duckett (84) both missed their hundreds on Day 3, but Root went past the landmark, flaunting his envious hunger for big runs.
Root and Harry Brook added 90-plus for the fourth wiciket as England raced past 300 in the second session on Wednesday.
Source: India Today