Joe Root Shines, Nears Tendulkar's Record

Joe Root has made headlines by finally scoring a red-ball hundred in Australia, marking the end of a decade-long wait for a century in Test cricket's oldest format. This remarkable achievement occurred during the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where Root resumed from an overnight score of 72 and reached his 41st Test century in just 146 deliveries.

This century is particularly significant as it is Root's second century in Australia, having previously scored his maiden Test ton during the Pink-Ball Test at the Gabba. Root, now 34, had never reached three figures in 14 Test matches played in Australia before this series began.

Root's century also marks the first international Test ton of 2026, a milestone that sees him draw level with Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting, both having 41 Test centuries. Only Sachin Tendulkar (51) and Jacques Kallis (45) have more centuries in this format. Furthermore, Root celebrated his 60th international century, joining an elite group of only six players to achieve this across all formats.

Despite witnessing the dismissals of his teammates Harry Brook (84), Ben Stokes (0), and Jamie Smith (46), Root continued to anchor the innings, surpassing lunch on the second day and notching up his 17th career score of 150 or more in Test cricket. This achievement places him fourth on the all-time list, behind Tendulkar, who holds the record with 20 such scores.

Root's recent performances have led to speculation about his potential to break Tendulkar's monumental record of Test runs. He has now narrowed the gap to the Indian batting legend to under 2,000 runs. While Tendulkar accumulated 15,921 runs in 329 innings during his illustrious 24-year career, Root is closing in on 14,000 runs with an impressive average of 51.39.

As cricket fans celebrate Root's achievements, the cricketing world eagerly watches to see if he can continue this remarkable form and challenge Tendulkar's long-standing records.