Joe Root, the England cricket team skipper, is all set to create history on February 5 when the team takes on India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk. Joe Root will become the 14th England player to play 100 or more Tests. Alastair Cook, the former skipper of the England cricket team, has played the most Tests with 161. Joe Root will join Graham Gooch, Alec Stewart, David Gower, Kevin Pietersen, Geoff Boycott, Mike Atherton, Ian Bell, Colin Cowdrey, Andrew Strauss, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Ian Botham and Graham Thorpe are the other players to have played 100 Tests for England.
Joe Root made his debut against India in the 2012 series in Nagpur and he impressed in the match by chipping in with 73 on a featherbed of a wicket. Joe Root entered a prestigious list as he became the seventh England player to go past 8000 runs in Tests. Playing in his 98th Test, the England cricket team captain got to the landmark when he swept Lasith Embuldeniya for a couple to deep midwicket. Joe Root became the seventh player after Alastair Cook, Graham Gooch, Geoffrey Boycott, Alec Stewart, Kevin Pietersen and David Gower. Joe Root is the only England player to have gotten 8000 Test runs before playing 100 Tests. The England skipper is in line to play his 100th Test in the clash against India in Chennai, having made his debut in India in 2013 in Nagpur.
Root in prime form
Joe Root’s day only got better as he smashed a double century. This was Joe Root’s fourth double century and his knock against Sri Lanka was his second against the Lankans on their home turf, having hit a century in 2018 in Pallekele. Currently, England has gone past 400 with Joe Root batting aggressively as England’s lead neared 300 on the third day. England has won four consecutive Tests against Sri Lanka in their country, having won in 2012 and they achieved history in 2018 as they whitewashed Sri Lanka for the first time in their country by winning the Tests 3-0.
The England cricket team arrived in Chennai in preparation for the four-Test series that will begin on February 5. The first two Tests will be played in Chennai while the remaining two Tests will be played in Ahmedabad. In the last tour in 2016/17, England was comprehensively beaten 4-0 in the five-Test series and it saw a change in captaincy with Alastair Cook stepping down. With Joe Root having won all five of his Tests so far in Asia, the trip to India will see the ultimate test of his leadership and batting skill. India always has had happy memories for Joe Root and they will be determined to put up a better fight as compared to 2016. It will not be easy against an Indian side who are on a high after beating Australia in their home conditions despite missing so many injuries.
