During the second Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Saturday, August 31, Joe Root broke Alastair Cook’s record for the most Test hundreds for England. The great batsman reached his 34th Test century on Day 3, to the delight of the standing-room only audience. However, some likened the event to Virat Kohli’s historic 50th ODI century against New Zealand in the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-finals.
The fact that Root set a national record on Saturday and Virat Kohli smashed a world record at Mumbai’s storied Wankhede Stadium last year is noteworthy. Some supporters find it difficult to understand how the accomplishments relate to each other.
Notably, during the match against New Zealand last year, Kohli struck 117, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most tonnes in the ODI format. In the stands when Kohli smashed his record was the great Tendulkar. The Master Blaster was seen gleefully praising the Delhi batter for his outstanding accomplishment.
From the iconic Lord’s commentary box on Saturday, Cook witnessed his old deputy Root smashing his record. While Root was soaking up the adulation, the former England opener praised his performance. Some fans began drawing comparisons between this precious moment and the November incident involving Kohli and Tendulkar.
— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) August 31, 2024
Cook declared, “He is, quite simply, England’s greatest,” when providing commentary for the BBC after praising Root. He should possess the record for himself, and you are entirely correct. Joe, absorb it. We have a genius in front of us.
Also Read: Watch: After his historic century against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, Joe Root embraces his father
Root equalled Cook’s record in the first innings with a smooth 143 off 206 balls. In the second innings, he made history by scoring a century on 121 balls. Root’s century in the second innings gave England the unlikely target of 483 against Sri Lanka. After Day 3, the visitors were 53/2 and needed 433 runs to even the series.
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