England’s great batsman Joe Root scored an outstanding century on Day 2 of the third Test against India at Lord’s on Friday, July 11. When the hosts chose to bat first on Day 1, Root led the innings to a score of 251-4 in 83 overs, going to stumps at 99*.
The former England captain scored a well-deserved century with the opening ball of Day 2 at Lord’s. Jasprit Bumrah hit a full and wide delivery that went wide of the gully for a four, giving the right-handed batter an outside edge. When Root reached his ninth Test hundred at Lord’s, he was naturally overjoyed.
The 34-year-old’s excellent innings came to an end at 104 when he inside edged another big delivery from Bumrah outside off back onto his stumps. His excellent effort, which included 10 fours, lasted 331 minutes and came off 199 balls.
Root (37) surpassed Steve Smith (36) and Rahul Dravid (36) with his most recent century, moving into the top five list of batsmen with the most hundreds in Test cricket. After Root’s century against India at Lord’s on Friday, take a look at the updated list.
1. Sachin Tendulkar (51)
Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian batting virtuoso, is still the only cricket player to have more than 50 Test hundreds. With 51 hundreds and 68 half-centuries, he scored 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78 in exactly 200 games. In December 2004, Tendulkar’s top score of 248* was achieved in Dhaka against Bangladesh.
Eleven of the Master Blaster’s fifty-one Test hundreds were against Australia, nine against Sri Lanka, and seven apiece against South Africa and England. Five tons were also scored by Tendulkar against Bangladesh, four against New Zealand, three against Zimbabwe and the West Indies, and two against Pakistan. The former captain of India achieved 29 Test hundreds away from home and 22 at home.
2. Jacques Kallis (45)
Former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis is ranked second on the all-time list of Test hundreds. In 166 Test matches, he amassed 13,289 runs at an average of 55.37, with 58 half-centuries and 45 hundreds. In January 2012, the Proteas icon defeated Sri Lanka in Cape Town, recording his highest Test score of 224.
Kallis scored eight centuries in each of his 45 Test matches against England and the West Indies, seven against India, and six each against Pakistan and New Zealand. Along with five tons against Australia, the former South African all-rounder also amassed three against Zimbabwe and one apiece against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Kallis scored two hundreds at neutral locations, twenty away, and twenty hundred at home.
3. Ricky Ponting (41)
Ricky Ponting, former Australian skipper is placed third in the list of all-time Test hundreds makers. At the Test level, he played 168 matches and scored 13 378 runs with an average of 51.85 and 41 centuries and 62 fifties. Ponting has the highest of 257 against India in 2003 boxing day test at Melbourne.
The Australian icon scored eight hundreds in each of his 41 Test matches against South Africa, England, and India. In addition, Ponting smashed seven tons against the West Indies, five against Pakistan, two against the New Zealanders, and one each against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. The ‘Punter’ hit two hundreds at neutral locations, 16 away, and 23 at home.
4. Kumar Sangakkara (38)
Root is two tons behind the personal test icon of Sri Lanka Kumar Sangakkara, and a score of two can move him up to be fourth on the list of batters with most test centuries. In a total of 134 Tests that he played, Sangakkara managed to get 12,400 runs at 57.40 average, having used 38 centuries and 52 half-centuries. The highest of Sangakkara was 319 and it was scored against Bangladesh in Chattogram in February 2014.
He scored 10 of his 38 Test tons as a southpaw against Pakistan. In addition, he struck three hundreds each against England, South Africa, and the West Indies, two against Zimbabwe, one against Australia, five against India, four against New Zealand, and seven hundreds against Bangladesh. 22 hundreds were scored by the left-hander at home, 14 away, and two at neutral locations.
5. Joe Root (37)
Joe Root now ranks fifth among hitters with the most Test hundreds. In his 156th encounter, he reached his 37th Test century. With a top of 262 against Pakistan at Multan in October 2024, the seasoned batter has so far scored 13,219 runs at an average of 50.84.
Joe Root’s 37 Test tons include 11 against India, six against New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies, four against Australia, and two each against Pakistan and South Africa. The former captain of England has amassed 15 Test hundreds away from home and 22 at home.
