Another Test ton for Joe Root as he draws level with Ponting, eyes Sachin record
Sydney (The Uttam Hindu): Former England captain Joe Root added another major achievement to his tally with his superb batting performance in the fifth and final Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series against Australia. Root scored a century on the second day of the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, strengthening England's first innings.
Joe Root smashes another Test century, equalling Ricky Ponting; Sachin Tendulkar's world record just 100 centuries away: Joe Root scored 160 runs in 242 balls with the help of 15 fours. He completed his century in 146 balls, which was the 41st century of his Test career. With this innings, Root has reached the joint third position in the list of batsmen with most centuries in Test cricket. He has equalled former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who had scored 41 Test centuries in his career. Now only Jacques Kallis (45 centuries) and Sachin Tendulkar (51 centuries) are ahead of Root and Ponting in this list. Among the active batsmen of the current era, Root seems to be at the top. After him come Steve Smith (36 centuries) and Kane Williamson (33 centuries), who are far behind Root.
Joe Root remained unbeaten on 72 after the match ended early on the first day. On the second day, he patiently continued his innings despite uneven bounce and tight bowling. Harry Brooke (84), Ben Stokes (0), and Jamie Smith (46) fell at the other end, but Root maintained his composure and continued to score runs under pressure.
This was Joe Root's second Test century on Australian soil, and notably, both centuries came in the current Ashes series. Previously, he hadn't scored a century in 14 Test matches played in Australia. Since 2021, Root has scored 24 Test centuries, a testament to his consistency and class.
England currently trail 3-1 in the five-match Ashes series, but a win in the Sydney Test could earn them 12 crucial points for the 2025-27 World Test Championship. Currently, England are seventh in the nine-team standings.