Joe Root breaks Ricky Ponting's Test record against India: Details
Albeit in a losing cause, Joe Root smoked a fighting half-century in the third innings of the fifth Test against India in Dharamsala. While no other England batter could touch the 40-run mark, Root made 84 off 128 balls, a knock studded with 12 boundaries. With this half-century, Root displaced Ricky Ponting as the batter with the most 50-plus Test scores against India.
An innings of substance from Root
England never got going in their second outing as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Root, however, did not put his guard down and fought alone. Alongside Jonny Bairstow (39), he added 56 runs for the fourth wicket. Root also batted well with the tail-enders. He went down as the last wicket as England were folded for 195. Kuldeep Yadav dismissed the veteran batter.
Most 50-plus scores against India
This was Root's 11th Test fifty against India. As he also owns 10 tons against them, his tally reads 21 50-plus Test scores against India. He broke the tie with Australian legend Ponting, who touched the 50-run mark 20 times against India in his decorated Test career. West Indies' Clive Lloyd and Pakistan's Javed Miandad follow the suit with 19 50-plus scores apiece.
Most Test runs versus India
The series opener saw Root displace Ponting (2,555) as the highest run-getter against India in Tests. Root has scored 2,846 runs against India in 30 Tests, with his average being 58.08 (100s: 10, 50s: 11). No other batter has more than nine Test tons against India. Notably, Root is also the highest run-getter in India-England Tests.
Second-most Test runs in India by a visiting batter
During the second Test, Root became the second Englishman after Alastair Cook (1,235) to complete 1,000 Test runs in India. Playing his 15th Test in India, Root now owns 1,272 runs at 45.42 (100s: 3, 50s: 6). Clive Lloyd, (1,359) is the only visiting batter with more Test runs in India. With his latest fifty, Root displaced Cook at the second place.
Here are his overall numbers
During the fourth Test in Ranchi, Root became the second England batter to complete 11,500 Test runs. He joined Cook (12,472) in this regard. Root has now raced to 11,736 runs in 140 Tests at 49.72. This was his 92nd fifty-plus score in Tests. His tally includes 61 half-centuries and 31 tons. No other Englishman owns more than 90 50-plus scores in the format.
Summary of the match
Batting first, England started well and were going along fine at 175/3 before India triggered a collapse (218/10). Kuldeep and Ravichandran Ashwin shared nine scalps. Zak Crawley made 79. In reply, India posted 477 thanks to centuries from Shubman Gill (110) and Rohit Sharma (103). England were folded for 195 in their second outing. Ashwin claimed a fifer in his 100th Test.
