England’s first Test against Pakistan at Headingley marked an important occasion for Joe Root as he returned to the captaincy for the first time since his previous stint in the role. With England looking to build an advantage after Pakistan were bowled out for 171, Root produced a composed performance alongside Jordan Cox. The veteran batter’s latest innings also saw him enter another elite group in Test cricket.
Joe Root draws level with Sachin Tendulkar
Root reached his 68th Test fifty during England’s first innings, bringing him level with Sachin Tendulkar for the most half-centuries in the history of the format. The landmark came after Root resumed his innings alongside Cox with England on 112/2. The pair went on to put together a century partnership, helping England recover strongly and move past Pakistan’s first-innings total.
Root eventually fell for 66 off 112 deliveries, having struck 10 boundaries. Khurram Shahzad dismissed him with an inswinger that trapped the England batter LBW as he attempted to work the ball away. Root’s latest milestone puts him alongside Tendulkar at the top of the list for Test fifties.
Most fifties in Test cricket:
- 68 – Joe Root
- 68 – Sachin Tendulkar
- 66 – Shivnarine Chanderpaul
- 63 – Allan Border
- 63 – Rahul Dravid
- 62 – Ricky Ponting
Tendulkar accumulated 68 fifties and 51 centuries during his 200-Test career. Root, meanwhile, has converted 41 of his 68 half-centuries into hundreds.
Root adds another milestone as England captain
The achievement came during Root’s first Test as England captain since Ben Stokes retired from international cricket. The 35-year-old was handed the leadership role again and immediately found himself playing a key part in England’s response with the bat. Root also moved to 42 fifty-plus scores as a Test captain, placing him fifth on the all-time list. Graeme Smith leads the category with 61, followed by Ricky Ponting with 54, Allan Border with 51 and Misbah-ul-Haq with 43.
After Root’s departure, Harry Brook continued England’s charge with an aggressive innings, while Cox had earlier contributed 73. England eventually reached 366/8, putting themselves in a strong position after Pakistan’s modest first-innings total. Root’s latest achievement further adds to an already remarkable Test career, and he will have another opportunity to move ahead of Tendulkar when he next reaches fifty in the format.
