ENG vs IND: Joe Root Records Most Test Hundreds Against India; Surpasses Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith, Viv Richards In The List

Star England batter Joe Root on Tuesday achieved a new record against the Indian cricket team after the conclusion of the fifth Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham. England made a come-from-behind victory to beat India by seven wickets and levelled the five-match series 2-2.

After having dominated the final session on Day 4, Root and Jonny Bairstow carried on the chase nonchalantly and raced towards their hundreds. It was Bairstow who hit Mohammed Shami for a couple of fours early in the day and it looked like the England gloveman would reach the three-figure mark first against his Yorkshire teammate.

But once Root found the inside edge off Jasprit Bumrah for a boundary behind the wickets, the former England skipper smashed a flurry of boundaries to reach his 28th Test ton, guiding one over the gully for a four off Mohammed Siraj.

Joe Root’s numbers against India in Test cricket

It was Root’s fourth hundred in this series, taking his tally to 737 runs in 10 innings at an average of 105.28. Only Graham Gooch scored more runs against India in a three-match Test series – 752 runs in 1990.

Root now has amassed 2526 Test runs at an average of 63.15 against India, only Ricky Ponting has a better record than the England batter. The former Australian skipper aggregated 2555 runs at 54.36 with 12 half-centuries and eight hundreds.

With his undefeated 142, Root scored his ninth century against India while helping England to record their most successful run-chase in the fourth-innings in Test cricket.

Joe Root surpassed Ricky Ponting, Viv Richards, and Steve Smith with the most Test hundreds against India

The 31-year-old Yorkshireman surpassed the likes of Ponting, Gary Sobers, Sir Viv Richards and Steve Smith with the most Test hundreds against India. All the aforementioned players hit eight Test tons against India with only Smith likely to challenge Root in the race with the other three retired from the game.

Root and Bairstow remained unbeaten in their 269-run stand to propel England to a glorious victory at Edgbaston. It was the highest partnership for the fourth wicket in the fourth innings, breaking the record set by Graeme Wood and Craig Serjeant’s 251 against West Indies in Georgetown in 1978.

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