Joe Root equals Dravid's record with 36th Test century: Stats
What's the story
English cricket's stalwart Joe Root has equaled Indian legend Rahul Dravid's record by scoring his 36th Test century.
The incredible feat was achieved during the third innings of the second Test against New Zealand at Wellington's Basin Reserve.
Root's phenomenal innings helped the visitors set a daunting target of 583 for the home team, putting England in a strong position to clinch another victory.
Match progression
Root's century propels England to dominant position
England walked into their second innings with a lead of 155 runs, courtesy of their bowlers who bundled out the Kiwis for a paltry 125.
Ben Duckett (92) and Jacob Bethell (96) tightened England's grip even further.
However, it was Root's unflinching determination that stood out as he refused to budge and played aggressive cricket.
He added 95 runs with Harry Brook before being involved in a fiery 100-run partnership with skipper Ben Stokes (49*).
Performance details
Root's century: A display of skill and resilience
Root's century was a masterclass of skill and resilience, laced with 11 boundaries.
He got solid support from his teammates Brook and Stokes.
This collective effort has placed England in a commanding position in the match against New Zealand.
Notably, Stokes declared the England innings right after William O'Rourke trapped Root for 106.
The visitors, who were folded for 280/10 batting first, finished at 427/6d.
Stats
Here are his overall numbers
Root scored 11 fours en route to his unbeaten 106 off 130 balls.
The veteran batter, who is playing his 151st Test match, has scored 12,886 runs at an average of 50.93.
He owns 36 centuries and 64 half-centuries in England whites.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Root is the highest run-scorer in England vs New Zealand Tests, having scored 1,839 runs across 20 Tests at 54.08.
The tally includes six tons and eight half-centuries.
Records
Root scripted these records
The knock also saw Root become the first Englishman and fourth overall batter in the history of Test cricket, to register 100 scores of 50 or more.
The batter joined an elite list of cricketers including Sachin Tendulkar (119), Jacques Kallis (103), and Ricky Ponting (103).
Meanwhile, Tendulkar (51), Kallis (45), Ponting (41), and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (38) are now the only ones with more Test tons than Root.
As mentioned, the England star equaled Dravid's century tally.