Joe Root equals Younis Khan's Test record

England's Joe Root has reached a significant milestone in Test cricket, matching the century tally of legends like Pakistan’s Younis Khan and others. Root’s 34th Test century came during the ongoing second home Test against Sri Lanka, further cementing his place among cricket's greats.

Root, currently in exceptional form, scored 143 runs in the first innings, hitting 18 boundaries. He continued his impressive performance in the second innings, contributing 103 runs and helping England set a daunting 483-run target for Sri Lanka.

With this latest achievement, Root is now tied with cricketing icons such as Younis Khan, India’s Sunil Gavaskar, Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene, and West Indies’ Brian Lara, all of whom have 34 centuries to their name. Root’s century also makes him the leading century-scorer for England, surpassing former captain Alastair Cook.

The record for the most centuries in Test cricket remains with Sachin Tendulkar of India, who has 51, followed by Jacques Kallis with 45, Ricky Ponting with 41, Kumar Sangakkara with 38, and Rahul Dravid with 36. Root’s latest century adds to his impressive career tally, and he is now just behind these legends.

Most Hundreds in Test Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar: 51
Jacques Kallis: 45
Ricky Ponting: 41
Kumar Sangakkara: 38
Rahul Dravid: 36
Joe Root: 34*
Sunil Gavaskar: 34
Mahela Jayawardene: 34
Brian Lara: 34
Younis Khan: 34
Alastair Cook: 33

In a heartfelt moment, Root dedicated his first-innings century to the memory of former England batter and coach Graham Thorpe, who recently passed away. Root, who has also surpassed 12,000 runs in Test cricket, now has his sights set on further climbing the all-time records.

Notably, Root is currently the only active player in Test cricket with as many centuries as he has achieved.