England’s batting maestro Joe Root returned to form in style at his favorite venue, Lord’s. After modest performances in Leeds and Birmingham, Root delivered a commanding century against India in the third Test, cementing his legacy with yet another record.

Root, who was unbeaten on 99 at the close of play on Day 1, wasted no time on Day 2. On the very first ball, he drove for four to bring up his 37th Test century, a moment that was met with loud cheers from the Lord’s crowd. This innings also saw him surpass Indian legend Rahul Dravid and Australia’s Steve Smith, both of whom have 36 Test centuries.

Root’s innings came at a crucial time for England. Coming in with the score at 44 for 2, he built a steady partnership with Ollie Pope, and later with captain Ben Stokes, helping stabilize the innings. His calm, composed knock once again highlighted why he is considered one of the modern greats of Test cricket.

This century was Root’s eighth at Lord’s, underlining his dominance at the historic venue. He has now equaled Steve Smith in terms of most Test centuries (11) against India.

In the list of most centuries in Test cricket, Root now holds fifth place behind Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), Ricky Ponting (41), and Kumar Sangakkara (38). Among currently active cricketers, Root leads the chart with the most Test hundreds.

Root’s latest performance not only gave England a strong position in the match but also reaffirmed his status as one of the finest Test batsmen of this generation.