England captain Joe Root brought up a special Test century when he led England in the series opener against India in Chennai on Friday. Live Updates | Live Scorecard | News
For Root, the game in Chepauk– the first of four in the series – saw him become the 15th Englishman to get to the landmark in the longest format and the 69th overall. It was a special moment for Root as he received a cap from his team-mate Ben Stokes.
Root as a 21-year-old made his debut in India in 2012. He was also presented a special cap by England national selector Ed Smith on the occasion. Root had made his debut against India in the 2012-13 tour and also played his 50th Test against the same opponent in Vishakapatnam in 2016.
Root has been in rich form and started 2021 with 426 runs on the recent tour of Sri Lanka. He helped lead a relatively inexperienced England side secure a 2-0 series sweep. This extended England's winning streak overseas to five matches, their best run away since 1914.
During his double hundred in the first Test against Sri Lanka, Root became the seventh Englishman to reach 8,000 runs in the format. The 30-year-old England captain has scored 8,249 runs with 19 centuries and 49 half-centuries before this Test.
