Joe Root etched his name in the annals of English cricket history by setting a new national record for the most Test centuries.
Root achieved this monumental feat by scoring his 34th Test century during the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's, surpassing the previous record held by retired England captain Alastair Cook.
Root's record-breaking century came during England's second innings on the third day of the match. He reached the milestone with a cut shot off Lahiru Kumara, marking his 10th boundary of the innings off just 111 balls. This knock of 103 runs not only propelled England's total to 251 but also positioned Sri Lanka with a daunting target of 483 runs to chase, to level the three-match series.
This was Root's seventh century at Lord's, making him the sole holder of the record for the most Test centuries at the historic venue, a title he previously shared with England legends Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan, both of whom had scored six centuries each at the 'Home of Cricket'.
In addition, Root joined an elite club of cricketers who have scored centuries in both innings of a Test match at Lord's, a distinction he now shares with the West Indies' George Headley, Gooch, and Vaughan.
Root, who is playing his 145th Test, has now climbed to joint-sixth place on the all-time list of Test century-makers, a leaderboard led by India's Sachin Tendulkar with 51 centuries. At 33, Root remains the only active Test cricketer among the top century-makers, continuing to add to his illustrious career.
