Joe Root once again impressed at Lord’s, achieving a significant feat in his career by scoring two centuries in the same Test match. His 34th Test century not only established a fresh record for England, but also had a crucial impact in leading his team towards what appears to be a victory that secures the series.

Joe Root becomes highest century getter for England

Root’s century surpassed Alastair Cook as the England player with the most centuries in Test cricket. He proceeded to set numerous other records as England asserted their dominance and moved closer to victory.

Root, the pillar of England’s batting order, put on a display of his grace and reliability for the Lord’s spectators. His quick scoring of 103 runs was marked by several notable accomplishments.

It was significant that he scored his seventh Test century at Lord’s, breaking Graham Gooch’s record to become the top run-scorer at the venue. Root is close to surpassing Alastair Cook’s total England run-scoring record, with fewer than 100 runs between them.

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Joe Root now has equaled Lara, Gavaskar, Jayawardene and Younis

Overall, Root has now equalled an elite list of players who also ended their career with 34 centuries: West Indies’ Brian Lara, Pakistan’s Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar of India, and former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene.

Root scored his Test century from just 111 balls, marking it as his quickest in the format. He achieved the milestone by hitting a stylish shot over Lahiru Kumara’s bouncer, sending the ball beyond deep point as the crowd cheered loudly. Harry Brook’s score of 37 was the next best among his teammates, making his performance noticeably exceptional.

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England close in on Test win

Sri Lanka had a big challenge ahead as they were up against a difficult target of 483. Root continued to excel on the field, making two important catches at first slip to get rid of Nishan Madushka and Pathum Nissanka.

Root’s total of 200 catches in Test cricket now puts him in the exclusive company of just four players who have accomplished the same feat. Root is now close to breaking Dravid’s record of 210 catches.

At the conclusion of the day, Sri Lanka had seen two wickets fall, in part due to an early finish caused by poor lighting. The target appeared unattainable for a team facing batting difficulties, though captain Dimuth Karunaratne successfully avoided a near lbw decision at the start of his innings.