Cricket records tumble in India-England Test showdown

LONDON: The India-England Test series has entered the record books, becoming the first ever to feature 50 individual scores of fifty or more runs.

The series has seen 19 centuries and 31 half-centuries so far. India lead the tally with 28 fifty-plus scores, while England has contributed 22.

This remarkable achievement also coincides with another milestone, the highest aggregate of runs scored in a five-match Test series.

The previous record belonged to the 1928-29 Ashes series, where English and Australian batters amassed a combined total of 6,606 runs.

The previous benchmark for the most fifty-plus scores in a five-match series was 49, set during the 1920-21 Ashes series.

Another notable record was during the 1993 Ashes, which produced 50 fifty-plus scores, but over six matches, making the ongoing India-England series the first to reach this figure within five Tests.

Meanwhile, England’s batter Joe Root also etched his name in history on Sunday by becoming the first player to score 6,000 runs in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

The 34-year-old achieved the landmark during the ongoing five-Test series against India, marking yet another milestone in his illustrious career.

Root featured in his 69th WTC Test, remained the tournament’s leading run-scorer, having participated in all four editions since its inception.

Root’s remarkable WTC record includes 20 centuries and 23 half-centuries at an average of over 52.

He topped a star-studded list that includes Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben Stokes, and Travis Head in the top five run-scorers.

This milestone adds to a series of achievements for the former England captain. Earlier in Manchester, Root surpassed legends Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in men’s Test cricket.

He is now joint-fourth on the list of most centuries in Test cricket, with 38, sharing the spot with Kumar Sangakkara.

Additionally, Root holds the record for the most catches as an outfield player in the format, a feat he achieved during the current series.