Wellington [New Zealand], December 7: Joe Root made history on Saturday by becoming the first England player and only the fourth player overall to reach 100 fifty-plus scores in Test cricket.
Root achieved this landmark during the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington. After a disappointing performance in the first innings, he ended Day 2 with an unbeaten 73 off 106 balls, which included five boundaries. This score marked his 100th fifty-plus score in Tests, comprising 35 centuries and 65 fifties.
The players ahead of him in this record include Sachin Tendulkar (119 fifty-plus scores, with 51 centuries), Jacques Kallis (103, with 45 centuries), and Ricky Ponting (103, with 41 centuries).
As for the match, England was put in to bat by New Zealand’s Tom Latham and found themselves struggling at 43/4, with Zak Crawley dismissed for just 17. However, a counter-attacking century from Harry Brook (123 off 115 balls, with 11 fours and 5 sixes) and a solid half-century from Ollie Pope (66 off 78 balls, with seven fours and a six) helped England reach 280/10 in 54.4 overs. The pair shared a 174-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Nathan Smith was the standout bowler for New Zealand, taking 4/86, while Will O’Rourke claimed 3/49 and Matt Henry got two wickets.
In response, New Zealand was bowled out for just 125 runs in their first innings, with Brydon Carse (4/46) and George Atkinson (4/31) taking key wickets. Kane Williamson was the top scorer for the Kiwis with 37 runs.
By the end of Day 2, England had established a commanding lead of 533 runs, reaching 378/5. Apart from Root, Ben Duckett (92 off 112 balls, with six fours and a six), Jacob Bethell (96 off 118 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes), and Harry Brook (55 off 61 balls, with five fours) also contributed half-centuries to England’s dominant position.