England batter Joe Root reached his 37th Test hundred on the second day of the third Test against India at the Lord’s Cricket Ground on Friday, July 11. The right-handed batter surpassed Steve Smith to become the active player with the most Test centuries and moved into fifth place on the all-time list.
Root was the best performer for England in the first innings on the opening day. The batter scored an unbeaten 99 runs before stumps. He placed England in a strong position for a big first-innings total after early losses. Ben Stokes (39*) added a 79-run unbeaten stand with Root as England posted 251 for 4.
Joe Root Brings Up 37th Test Century With First Ball of Day 2
Root edged the very first delivery of the day through the slip cordon for four. The middle-order batter reached his 37th Test century in 192 balls. The crowd at Lord’s erupted with cheers and gave him a standing ovation.
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Root celebrated the moment with a leap and a punch in the air before kissing his helmet badge. It was a significant milestone, moving him past Rahul Dravid and Steve Smith in the list of most Test hundreds. He cemented his reputation as one of the game’s most versatile and classy batters.
Most Test Centuries:
| S.No | Player | Team(s) | Test Centuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | India | 51 |
| 2 | Jacques Kallis | South Africa/ICC | 45 |
| 3 | Ricky Ponting | Australia | 41 |
| 4 | Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 38 |
| 5 | Joe Root | England | 37 |
| =6 | Rahul Dravid | India/ICC | 36 |
| =6 | Steve Smith | Australia | 36 |
Fans React as Joe Root Reaches Century on First Ball of Day 2 in Lord’s Test
Joe Root another Test hundred while Kohli is dying his beard brutal end to a rivalry
— m. (@RudeBellinghamm) July 11, 2025
England’s Great – Joe Root. pic.twitter.com/B15xhLg70l
— Cricket Anand (@cricanandha) July 11, 2025
He was made to wait but Joe Root reaches his 37th Test match century pic.twitter.com/3YVmfLnuco
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 11, 2025
Joe Root has scored 8 test hundreds at Lords Cricket Ground. Most of the Legends of this game don’t even have one hundred on this ground. pic.twitter.com/oVcjkEoYYC
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) July 11, 2025
Joe Root, you Legend
37 and counting pic.twitter.com/LlMY1p577E— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) July 11, 2025
“Root Can’t Score Under Pressure
Root Can’t Score vs India
Root Can’t Score vs Bumrah
Root Can’t Score in tough tracks
Root Can’t Score vs Quality Side
Root Can’t Score Like Smith”This is the reply to all the criticism he faced after one bad match.
Joe Root is The . pic.twitter.com/U2wYZGyORs
— Yash Jain (@yashjain4163) July 11, 2025
Joe Root with his old school batting technique amidst a lineup of bazzballers pic.twitter.com/7dmLjpQT2v
— Arjun* (@mxtaverse) July 11, 2025
no seriously tell me more about how joe root just got 100 runs i’m so interested pic.twitter.com/P5z3wt3T9x
— jess ♡ (@oneofthesirens) July 11, 2025
Finally, England Cricket Board’s mission was successful
Joe Root scored a Century on a Flat Pitch. @englandcricket pic.twitter.com/x2GfoaGkjm
— Rashpinder Brar (@RashpinderBrar3) July 11, 2025
India Silence Bazball with Disciplined Bowling at Lord’s
The third Test at Lord’s began with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar ringing the bell. England played out the opening hour without losing a wicket despite tight bowling from India. Nitish Kumar Reddy turned the game in the visitors’ favour with two wickets in one over, removing Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley.
England chose not to adopt their aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach, instead opting for a more traditional Test match style. Joe Root and Ollie Pope steadied the innings through the second session without losing a wicket. However, India struck twice after tea.
Jadeja removed Pope, and Bumrah dismissed Brook before Root and Ben Stokes ended the day with an unbeaten 79-run stand. Overall, England showcased a more patient, classical approach, shaped by India’s disciplined bowling.
Also read: Indian bowler scripts history with 2 hat-tricks in 2 overs
