Joe Root surpasses two West Indies legends in different records with fifty in second Test against Sri Lanka

Joe Root record — Image Source : GETTY Joe Root during the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's on August 29, 2024

Joe Root continues his red-hot form with another sensational fifty in the ongoing second Test match against Sri Lanka at Lord's on Thursday, August 29. The star English batter recorded his 97th fifty-plus score in Test cricket to shatter a couple of big records.

England lost two early wickets after being forced to bat first in the second Test at Lord's. Root kept the runs flowing with crucial partnerships with Ben Duckett and Harry Brook and helped England fight back in the second session.

The 33-year-old batter who shattered a match-winning unbeaten fifty in the first match, picked up where he left off and pulled another impressive innings. He reached a 50-tun mark in 84 balls and surpassed the Caribbean legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul in an exclusive list of players with the most 50+ scores in red-ball cricket.

Only four cricketers have scored more 50+ plus knocks in Test cricket than Root who needs seven more fifties to go second in the list. Root scored 64* off 98 balls as England seemed to find some quick runs in the middle stages with a 165/4 total in 43 overs.

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Most 50+ scores in Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar - 119 fifty-plus scores in 329 Test innings
Jacques Kallis - 103 fifty-plus scores in 280 Test innings
Ricky Ponting - 103 fifty-plus scores in 287 Test innings
Rahul Dravid - 99 fifty-plus scores in 286 Test innings
Joe Root - 97 fifty-plus scores in 264 Test innings
Shivanarine Chanderpaul - 96 fifty-plus scores in 280 Test innings

Root also became the second-highest all-time leading run-getter in international cricket among active players after scoring 48 runs. He surpassed West Indies veteran Chris Gayle and now needs only 400* runs to complete 20,000 international runs. He is only behind the Indian great Virat Kohli who comfortably dominates the top spot with 26,942 runs.