Joe Root delivered yet another batting masterclass to bring up his 39th Test hundred, further cementing his status as one of the greatest to grace the format. On Day 4 of the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval, Root reached the milestone off 137 balls, helping England close in on a series-clinching victory. As chants of “Rooooooot” echoed across the ground, the 34-year-old tucked a delivery towards long leg and scampered back for two, removing his helmet and raising his bat to the dressing room. In an emotional moment, he pulled out a headband and pointed skyward in tribute to Graham Thorpe. His proud parents rose to their feet in admiration from the stands.
The knock extended Root’s dominance over India. His milestone now made it 13 Test hundreds against the visitors, the most by any batter, taking him two clear of Steve Smith’s 11. This also pushed Root past Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 38 Test centuries, putting him behind only Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), and Ricky Ponting (41) on the all-time list. Root also became the first player to cross 6,000 runs in World Test Championship history. Playing his 69th WTC Test, he leads the run charts with 6,000 plus runs, ahead of Smith (4,278), Labuschagne (4,225), Stokes (3,616), and Head (3,300). With 21 centuries and 23 fifties in the cycle, his consistency remains unmatched. His innings came in a pressure situation, with England chasing 374 to seal the series 3-1. After Harry Brook’s quickfire 111, Root took charge, frustrating India’s depleted seam attack. His fifty came with a push to deep backward square leg, and from there, he kept rotating the strike and finding the gaps with clinical precision.The batter also equaled Sunil Gavaskar for most Test hundreds against an opponent. Root joined Gavaskar with 13 Test tons against India, and now is only behind Don Bradman’s 19 vs England. Additionally, this is Root’s 16th hundred against India in International cricket, the joint-most alongside Steven Smith.Most Test hundreds against an opponent
- Don Bradman – 19 – vs England
- Sunil Gavaskar – 13 – vs West Indies
- Joe Root – 13 – vs India
- Jack Hobbs – 12 – vs Australia
- Steven Smith – 12 – vs England
Moreover, his hundred only added to the list of individual milestones this series. Root’s 100 now means that there have been 21 individual hundreds in this five-Test series, level with the most-ever in a series, which earlier belonged to Australia in West Indies in 1955.
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Root’s ton was not just another number, it was a reminder of his unmatched ability to rise in big moments, control proceedings under pressure, and etch his name deeper into cricketing history.Root’s wicket was finally claimed by Prasidh Krishna, in the final ball of the 73rd over. His 105 runs in this crucial Test have all but handed England that final push to clinch a series win.