Joe Root, England’s most successful batsman, continues to break records and secure his place among cricket’s greats. In the recently concluded first Test match against Sri Lanka, Root’s unbeaten 62 not only led England to victory, but also made him the English player with the most fifties in Test cricket.
With 64 half-centuries to his name, Root is now third in the all-time list, catching up with legends like Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Sachin Tendulkar.
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Against Sri Lanka, Root’s calm and composed 62-run second innings innings helped England successfully reach their target of 205 runs. Manchester was a special venue for Root. With his latest half-century, Root now has eight 50-plus run scores on the ground, the most of any Test cricketer.
On the way to Sachin Tendulkar’s record
With 64 fifties, Root is now just four points behind Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 68 half-centuries in Test cricket. Considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Tendulkar has played 200 Test matches for India.
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Root is fast approaching that record with 144 matches, showing his longevity and consistency in the longest format of the game.
List of players with most fifties in Test cricket
player | mat | 50s |
---|---|---|
Sachin Tendulkar | 200 | 68 |
Shivnarine Chanderpaul | 164 | 66 |
Joe Root | 144 | 64 |
Allan Border | 156 | 63 |
Rahul Dravid | 164 | 63 |
Ricky Ponting | 168 | 62 |
Jacques Kallis | 166 | 58 |
Sir Alastair Cook | 161 | 57 |
VVS Laxman | 134 | 56 |
Kumar Sangakkara | 134 | 52 |
As Root continues to extend his tally of 50 knocks, the cricketing world will be watching closely. Breaking Tendulkar’s record would be a remarkable achievement and would further cement Root’s legacy as one of the game’s modern greats. With his current form, it seems only a matter of time before Root surpasses that milestone.
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