Joe Root Surpasses Alastair Cook's Test Century Record

Joe Root set a new record for the most Test centuries by an English batter, surpassing Alastair Cook with his 34th Test hundred during the second Test against Sri Lanka. Cook praised Root as the greatest English batter, calling it a pleasure to watch him in action.

Joe Root has rewritten the history books, surpassing Alastair Cook to become the leading century-maker in England's Test cricket history. Root's landmark 34th century came during the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's Stadium.

Root's 103 runs off 121 balls, featuring 10 boundaries, helped secure his place as England's top century scorer in Tests. Alastair Cook, speaking for BBC Test Match Special, lauded Root’s achievement, calling him England's greatest batter and a 'genius.'

Cook, who captained Root in his early international days, praised Root's inevitability in scoring runs and recalled predicting Root's success from his very first matches. Cook reminisced about Root's debut and his initial impressions, which have significantly evolved as Root now stands among the legends of the game with 50 international centuries.