England’s batting maestro Joe Root delivered another masterclass in Australia by scoring a memorable century on Day 2 of the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The knock marked Root’s 41st Test hundred and his second century of the series, underlining his consistency even in a campaign where England had already conceded the Ashes urn to Australia. After waiting years for his first Ashes ton on Australian soil, the former England captain has now made it a habit, showcasing his adaptability and hunger for runs in challenging conditions.
With this century, Root moved level with Australian great Ricky Ponting on the all-time list of most Test centuries, jointly occupying third place. Root reached the milestone in his 163rd Test match, while Ponting achieved the same number of centuries across 168 appearances, further highlighting Root’s remarkable scoring rate. Only two legends now sit ahead of him in the elite list, with Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar still leading the way.
Beyond centuries, Root has already surpassed Ponting in total Test runs and has also gone past Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara in the all-time men’s Test run charts. While Sangakkara finished with more centuries, Root’s sustained dominance suggests he could bridge that gap as well. Sitting less than 2,000 runs behind Sachin Tendulkar, Root is firmly on course to challenge the highest run tally in the longest format if his current form continues over the coming years.
The century itself came in style, as Root reached three figures off Michael Neser in the opening delivery of the 60th over. This achievement also placed him among an exclusive group of England batters to score multiple centuries in an away Ashes series, joining the likes of Michael Vaughan and Sir Alastair Cook. His purple patch over recent seasons is unmatched, with 24 Test centuries since 2021, comfortably the most by any batter in world cricket during that period.
England’s batting unit also showed signs of resurgence in Sydney. Root shared a crucial 169-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Harry Brook, who fell agonisingly short of a century after scoring 84. Earlier, England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat, continuing the momentum from England’s rare Test win in Melbourne, their first victory in Australia in 14 years. While pitch conditions across the series have sparked debate, Root’s brilliance has stood tall, reinforcing his status as one of the finest Test batters of the modern era.
