Joe Root surpasses Rahul Dravid, nears Ponting, Tendulkar in glorious Test batting list

Joe Root continues to put forth phenomenal performances with the bat in hand, continuing his march towards Test cricket record-breaking immortality as he piles on the runs in this part of his career.

Another half-century against New Zealand at Basin Reserve in Wellington means that Root has officially become only the fourth cricketer to have scored 50+ runs 100 times or more in Test cricket, overtaking Rahul Dravid and putting himself in good position to take the record for himself.

With 35 Test centuries and now 65 half-centuries, Root becomes the first batter of his generation to reach the triple figure mark, overtaking Dravid who did so on 99 occasions. Now ahead of Root are only Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting, who crossed 50 on 103 occasions each, and Sachin Tendulkar, who did so 119 times, including 51 centuries.

50+ scores in Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar: 119

Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting: 103

Joe Root: 100*

Rahul Dravid: 99

Root's phenomenal form in this decade continues, having scored 18 centuries since the start of 2020 in a period that has seen him establish himself as the finest Test batter in the world at the moment.

Root has also set a host of other records in 2024, including becoming England's highest Test run-scorer and notching up the centuries as he grows closer and closer in stats and status to some of the greats of the game in terms of his production.

Root continues to outperform struggling Kohli, Smith

Root's stats are bolstered by the fact that an early-career criticism of the English batter was his poor conversion rate, with his number of 50s not translating to big scores, a problem he has found the solution to in the recent past.

Root has evolved into a consistent scorer of big runs, meaning he stays well ahead of players such as Steven Smith (42 half-centuries and 31 centuries) and Virat Kohli (31 half-centuries and 30 centuries) in this particular category, as well in the run-scoring lists, as he sprints towards the 13,000-run mark in the format.

Root is currently batting on 73* at stumps on day two at Basin Reserve, in a match that has moved rapidly and seen plenty of fireworks.

Gus Atkinson registered a hat-trick in a rollercoaster debut year in Test cricket, while Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell both reached the 90s before being dismissed in the third innings.

England currently hold a hefty lead of 533 runs heading into day three, and are on the verge of sealing the inaugural Crowe-Thorpe Trophy with a 2-0 series lead.