Wed Oct 09 11:09:49 UTC 2024: ## Joe Root Achieves 35th Test Century, Overtakes Legends in Multan
**Multan, Pakistan:** England’s star batsman Joe Root etched his name into cricketing history on Wednesday, scoring his 35th Test century during the ongoing first Test against Pakistan. The achievement came on the third day of the match at the Multan Cricket Stadium, marking Root’s maiden century on Pakistani soil.
The 33-year-old reached the milestone off the second ball of the 63rd over, surpassing legendary batsmen Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Younis Khan, all of whom had amassed 34 Test centuries each. This feat propelled Root to sixth place on the all-time list of highest Test century scorers.
The current record holder remains Sachin Tendulkar with 51 Test centuries in a remarkable 24-year career spanning 200 Test matches. South Africa’s Jacques Kallis follows closely with 45 centuries, while Ricky Ponting holds the third spot with 41 centuries. Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka (38 centuries) and Rahul Dravid of India (36 centuries) occupy the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
Root’s century in the first innings against Pakistan also matched the feat of Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Mendis, who achieved five consecutive Test centuries in 2024.
In another milestone, Root recently surpassed the legendary Alistair Cook as the highest run-scorer in Test cricket. Cook amassed 12,472 runs in 161 Tests, while Root has now scored 12,502 runs in 147 Tests.
Beyond individual feats, Root has also achieved a significant milestone in the World Test Championship, becoming the highest run-scorer in the tournament’s history with over 5,000 runs.
First Piper 