Root Becomes Leading Test Century Maker Among Active Players; Equals Cook's England Record

Joe Root on Thursday slammed his 33rd Test hundred leaving behind Steve Smith and Kane Williamson to become the most prolific century-maker among active cricketers. Root achieved this feat during his splendid 143 in the first innings of the second England-Sri Lanka Test at the Lord's in London. (More Cricket News)

The 33-year-old also matched Alastair Cook's record of most Test centuries for England. He also now breaks into the list of top 10 batters with most centuries in Test cricket. He is at the 10th spot alongside his former skipper Cook.

Root is now just one century behind some of the greatest players to ever play the game: Sunil Gavaskar, Mahela Jayawardena, Brian Lara and Younus Khan.

Among active cricketers, no one has more Test tons than Root. Smith and Williamson have 32 while Virat Kohli is a distant fourth with 29 Test centuries.

Joe Root's 33rd century

England were 42 for two in the second Test after Sri Lanka had opted to bowl at the Lord's when Root joined Ben Duckett in the middle. Duckett too departed soon to leave England 82 for three. Harry Brook and Jamie Smith provided the former England skipper some company before they left with England at 192 for five.

Amid the fall of wickets at the other end, Root kept his calm founding the odd boundary. Soon after Woakes departed as the sixth England wicket, Root brought up his 33rd Test century to go level with Cook.

Root kept going even after his hundred, combining with pacer Gus Atkinson for a 92-run stand for the seventh wicket. At 143, Root tried the high-risk reverse ramp against Milan Rathnayake and was caught at gully by Patthum Nissanka. The Englishman hit 18 boundaries in his exceptional inning.

Atkinson too completed his maiden Test fifty and England, despite their early struggles, managed to post 358 for seven at the end of Day 1.