Joe Root Overtakes Dravid, Equals Smith with Record-Breaking Century Spree at Lord’s

London, July 11: Joe Root has once again etched his name into cricket’s glittering history books. The senior England batter scored his 37th Test hundred on Friday, surpassing the tallies of India’s legendary Rahul Dravid and his contemporary, Australia’s Steve Smith, both of whom held 36 centuries each in the longest format.

Root’s sparkling innings came on Day 2 of the third Test against India at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. He reached his milestone in style, threading a boundary wide of third slip off Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. But cricket’s fortunes can shift quickly Bumrah had the final word, dismissing Root for 104 from 199 balls, a knock that included 10 elegant boundaries.

Though his dismissal brought a hush over the crowd, Root’s milestone spoke volumes. He now sits alone in fifth place on the all-time list of century-makers in Test cricket, inching closer to legends like Kumar Sangakkara (38 centuries), Ricky Ponting (41), Jacques Kallis (45), and the untouchable Sachin Tendulkar, who reigns supreme with 51 hundreds.

Dominating India Like Few Others

Root’s latest feat also ties him with Steve Smith as the batter with the most centuries 11 apiece against India in Test matches. West Indian greats Sir Gary Sobers, Viv Richards, and Australia’s Ricky Ponting follow with eight hundreds each against the subcontinental powerhouse.

Root’s record against India is all the more remarkable considering he needed 60 innings to notch up those 11 tons, while Smith required only 46. Yet Root’s steady brilliance underlines a career of astonishing consistency and class, especially against one of the world’s strongest bowling attacks.

A Love Affair with Lord’s

Lord’s, often called the “Home of Cricket,” seems to bring out Root’s best. His latest century was his third in consecutive innings at the historic ground, placing him alongside two other English greats Michael Vaughan (2004-05) and Sir Jack Hobbs (1912-1926) who have scored hundreds in three successive innings at the venue.

Among international players, only India’s Dilip Vengsarkar has managed the rare hattrick of hundreds at Lord’s, with memorable tons in 1979, 1982, and 1986.

Root’s latest ton also made him the highest century-scorer at Lord’s in cricket’s long history, with eight centuries on this sacred turf. Former England skippers Vaughan and Graham Gooch share second place with six hundreds each.

Adding to the romance of the numbers, Root’s previous two innings at Lord’s yielded scores of 143 and 103, underlining his dominance at the ground where legends are made.

Though Root eventually fell to Bumrah’s precision, his innings has added another golden chapter to England’s cricketing narrative. For fans, it was more than just runs it was the joy of watching one of the game’s modern masters weave his artistry yet again.