Joe Root moved level with Ricky Ponting on Monday after striking his 41st Test century during the second day at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Resuming on 72, the 34-year-old reached the milestone in 146 deliveries, placing him joint-third on the all-time list for Test hundreds.
Root’s 160 took England to a first-innings total of 384, providing a boost as the tourists look to secure a second consecutive consolation win in the series. Only Sachin Tendulkar (51) and Jacques Kallis (45) now sit above him on the career leaderboard.
The knock was particularly important as it marked Root's first red-ball century in Australia, ending a decade-long wait across four tours. While he had previously notched a ton in the Pink-Ball Test at the Gabba earlier this series, this performance showcased his control on a surface that offered variable bounce.
Root held the innings together even as partners like Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith fell, eventually reaching 150 for the 17th time in his career. His innings was finally halted by a sharp return catch from Michael Neser, who led a late-order collapse by taking three quick wickets.
Root's statistical climb places him in elite company as he became only the sixth batter in history to reach 60 international centuries across all formats.
With the gap between him and Tendulkar’s record tally of 15,921 runs now narrowed to under 2,000, Root’s position as the second-highest run-scorer in the history of the format appears increasingly secure. His 17th score of 150-plus also puts him fourth all-time in that category, behind only Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and Kumar Sangakkara.
Australia’s bowling unit, which opted against playing a specialist spinner in Sydney for the first time since 1888, struggled for rhythm during the morning but utilized the pitch to restrict England’s lower order.