ENG vs SL: Joe Root Matches Alastair Cook’s Iconic Test Runs Record

On the opening day of the second Test match between Sri Lanka and England at Lord’s, star batsman Joe Root dedicated his historic performance to the late Graham Thorpe. Notably, after being called in to bat first, Root struck an incredible 143(206) to save England from early difficulty when they were at 82/3.

From then on, the 33-year-old forged important alliances with Gus Atkinson (74), and Harry Brook (33), to enable his squad secure a respectable total. After his innings, Root paid tribute to legendary England cricketer and longtime batting coach Graham Thorpe, who passed away earlier this month.

According to ESPNCricinfo, Root stated, “I’ve been very lucky to work with a lot of people, whether it be senior players, coaches, mentors, and Thorpey was one of those people that offered me so much.”

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Following a protracted struggle with anxiety, Thorpe, who played 100 Tests and 82 ODIs for England, took his own life earlier this month. After reaching his 33rd Test hundred, Root gestured to the heavens in remembrance of the former batter. The cricket player, who was born in Yorkshire, reflected on the occasion following the match and emphasized that he “wouldn’t be here without him.”

He made us wait for it, but the moment Joe Root and the whole of Lord's was waiting for 🤩💯 pic.twitter.com/6CnDVJ89tD

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 29, 2024

Being able to think about him at that precise moment was good. I will truly miss him a great deal. I probably wouldn’t be where I am now without his assistance, he said. He invested a lot of time and effort into my game and career.

Root equals the Records with Alistair Cook

Notably, Thorpe also advocated for Root’s inclusion in the England team for the 2012 India tour, during which he made his debut in the fourth Test match in Nagpur with an outstanding 73. In the meanwhile, Root tied the record held by the former England captain, Alastair Cook, for the most Test hundreds scored for England, with 33 hundreds.

In addition, it was his sixth century at Lord’s, where he was equal with Michael Vaughan and Graham Gooch, who had each scored six hundreds at the storied arena. Thanks to his innings, Gus Atkinson (74*) and Matthew Potts (20*) helped England end Day 1 on 358/7.