England batter Joe Root recorded his second century of the Ashes series on day two of the Sydney Test, bringing his career total to 41 Test centuries. This milestone places him equal fourth all-time with Ricky Ponting. The performance led former Australian batter Darren Lehmann to revise his earlier assessment of Root's standing among contemporary players. Root's 160-run innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground contributed to England's total of 384 all out.
Recent Performance and Milestones
During the Sydney Test, Joe Root scored 160 runs. This century was his second in Australia during the current Ashes series. He achieved the milestone in 146 balls at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Following this innings, Root's career Test run total increased to 13,937. He is currently playing his 163rd Test match.
Earlier in the series, Root scored his first century on Australian soil with 138 runs in the pink ball Test at the Gabba, Brisbane. Prior to this series, he had participated in 14 Tests in Australia without scoring a century, despite a career batting average of 50.94 before the series and centuries in all other Test-playing countries except the UAE (three Tests played) and Bangladesh (two Tests played).
His 41st Test century matches Ricky Ponting's career total. Sachin Tendulkar holds the record with 51 centuries, followed by Jacques Kallis with 45. Since 2021, Root has accumulated 24 Test centuries in 66 matches.
Darren Lehmann's Assessment
Former Australian batter Darren Lehmann, speaking on ABC Radio, revised his earlier view of Root. Prior to the current series, Lehmann had commented that Root was "a rung below" contemporaries such as Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Virat Kohli. After Root's first century in Australia, Lehmann stated that "once he ticked off the hundred in Australia, he'll be the greatest player outside of Bradman, statistically." Lehmann also predicted that Root could surpass Tendulkar's career records due to his fitness.
Health and Future Outlook
During Australia's subsequent innings in the Sydney Test, Root was absent from the field for approximately two hours due to back cramp.
Root, who turned 35 on December 30, has indicated an intention to play until at least the 2027 Cricket World Cup. Sachin Tendulkar completed his 200 Test matches at age 40. Root is currently pursuing Tendulkar's record of 15,921 Test runs, sitting approximately 2,015 runs behind based on his total of 13,906 runs recorded before his Sydney innings.
England's Ashes Record in Australia
Root has participated in two Ashes series victories for England when played in England. His career in Australia has coincided with Test series losses of 5-0, 4-0, and 4-0 on his three preceding tours. He served as captain during the two 4-0 defeats. England lost the current series following defeats in the initial three Tests but avoided a 5-0 series loss by securing a victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This marked the first Test win in Australia for both Joe Root and his successor as England captain, Ben Stokes.
Root commented that the win at the MCG could benefit the Test team in future visits by establishing positive memories and potentially helping newer squad members avoid any historical 'baggage' associated with previous tours.
Historical Incidents at the SCG
The Sydney Cricket Ground has been the site of several notable events in Root's Test career. During the 2013-14 Ashes series, he was omitted from the Test team at the venue, which remains his only omission from a Test match. In the 2017-18 series, Root retired hurt at the SCG due to illness involving dehydration, diarrhoea, and vomiting, with temperatures reported between 43.7 and 47 degrees Celsius (110.7-116.6 degrees Fahrenheit). He had scored 83 runs in the first innings and 58 runs before retiring hurt in the second innings of a match Australia won by an innings and 123 runs. The illness prevented him from fulfilling post-series media and presentation obligations as captain.