Joe Root has broken Sir Alastair Cook’s record for the highest number of England Test centuries with his second match hundred against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.
He rescued England in the first innings from 216 for six with his 143, and Gus Atkinson’s maiden Test century carrying them into a dominant position in the match.
The second innings came with less pressure from the match situation, with England already firmly in front. But there was an individual pressure to overtake the record set by his former captain Cook, who amassed a record 33 Test centuries for England, and 12,472 runs.
Cook said on Test Match Special commentary: “He is quite simply England’s greatest.
“It is absolutely right that he has this record to himself. Take it in, Joe, we are watching you and you are a genius.
“There is a sense of inevitability around Joe Root when he bats, a sense that he is always going to score runs. It’s such a pleasure to see a master at work like this.”
Root had equalled the record of 33 with his century in the first innings, but had a battle against time before the impending declaration, and the wickets at the other end proceeded to tumble, briefly threatening to leave him without a partner.
At the lunch break on day three, England were 159 for four, with a lead of 390, and Root on 48, but he accelerated after the interval.
There was a brief moment of concern when Root was on 79, trying to heave the ball into the leg side towards the mound stand and missed, he also chipped the following delivery into the air but it fell safe.
At the other end, Atkinson played an improvised switch-hit hook shot that was caught in the deep to leave England seven down, with Root chasing the record.
He took the number of runs scored at Lord’s to over 2,0000, the sixth time that milestone has been reached at a specific ground, and only Graham Gooch has achieved the same feat at the Home of Cricket.
Matthew Potts only scored two before he was out caught behind, with Root on 88 and England slipping to 227 for eight.
Root chose not to run with his personal total stranded slightly on 98, and in the first innings it took him 12 balls to move from 99 to the triple figures, but he brought up the milestone.
The Yorkshireman broke the record with a cover drive, and celebrated by running down the pitch and fist-pumping the air, before being almost comically dropped next ball. He was eventually out for 103, leaving the field to a standing ovation from all corners of Lord’s.