Joe Root joins elite club with 99th half-century in Multan Test against Pakistan

Joe Root seems to be on a record-breaking spree, as the England cricket team batting maestro continued his remarkable run in Test cricket in the ongoing opening Test of the three-match Test series against Pakistan at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan.

Root hit yet another milestone on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test match between Pakistan and England in Multan. The English batting maestro notched up his 99th half-century, a feat achieved by very few in the history of Test cricket.

Joe Root reaches 99 half-centuries milestone in Multan Test

In the 33rd over of England’s first innings, the Naseem Shah delivery had a slight inward movement, prompting Root to play a cautious shot, resulting in an inside edge that raced away to backward square leg, and the former England captain completed his fifty just before the drinks break.

Well, Root, who is currently in exceptional form with the bat, calmly acknowledged his milestone with a simple raise of his bat in celebration before resuming his innings. Meanwhile, this knock placed the right-handed batter among the legends on an elite list.

With this fifty in Multan, the 33-year-old batter joined an exclusive club featuring the only legends like India’s batting great Sachin Tendulkar, legendary South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis, and Australian batting legend Ricky Ponting, who all have the most number of fifties in Test cricket.

Root becomes the fourth player to have hit most fifties in Test cricket

Joe Root reached fifty for the 99th time in Test cricket and became the only fourth player to have the most fifties after Tendulkar (119), Kallis (103), and Ponting (103). The English legend has a great chance to overtake Ponting and Kallis in the ongoing Test series in Pakistan.

Joe Root inside-edges Naseem Shah through square leg and reaches 50 for the 99th time in Tests. Only Tendulkar (119), Kallis and Ponting (both 103) have reached 50 more often

— Matt Roller (@mroller98) October 9, 2024

Notably, when Root was 65, he faced a close call for LBW after being hit on the pad by Aamer Jamal. Pakistan went for a review, but it didn't go in their favor. Later, Root etched his name in history by breaking Alastair Cook’s record to become England’s all-time leading run scorer in Test cricket.

Alastair Cook backs Joe Root to break Sachin Tendulkar's world record

Recently, the former England captain Cook said that Root has a strong chance of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record of most runs in the history of Test cricket, but he feels injuries and the upcoming Ashes series could pose challenges. He added that relieving from England’s captaincy helped Root.

Alastair Cook said on BBC’s Test Match Special: “I can see him (Joe Root) overhauling Sachin’s record. You could say Sachin is still the favorite to hold onto the record, but just. He’s been so lucky with injuries. All great players who played for a long time have been lucky with injuries. You just never know what’s around the corner, but it has to be something like it that could stop him.

But I don’t see that happening for Root to lose that hunger and ability to keep driving himself forward for the next couple of years. The only slight hurdle in his way will be the [2025-26] Ashes series. There is always something happening around the series. I’d give Sachin 51 percent and Root 49 percent. But I would be betting on Root to do it.”