Joe Root, the star batter from England, now holds the record for the most international runs scored at Lord’s, surpassing the 31-year record held by Graham Gooch. Gooch, another England great, scored 2513 runs at this well-known ground.
Root achieved this feat during the third Test against India in their five-match series. He overtook Gooch on Day 1 of the match, with an impressive innings of 99 not out.
To date, Root has played 33 matches at Lord’s, amassing 2526 runs with an average of 54.91. His record at the stadium includes 8 centuries and 10 half-centuries in international games. These statistics are expected to change as he continues to bat on Day 2 of the Test, where he might score his 37th century in Test cricket. Although, on Day 1 against India, Root faced challenges. He came in to bat after England lost Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in quick succession, leaving the team at 43/2 and under pressure. Despite this, Root and Ollie Pope stabilized the innings and managed the game well.
England, usually known for its aggressive play in Test cricket, adopted a different approach, playing 28 consecutive dot balls. Indian players, like captain Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj, teased them about their Bazball strategy, but England stuck to its plan. Even after Pope was out for 44, Root and Ben Stokes kept up the same approach.
Their cautious play helped England to steadily add runs. Root remained unbeaten at 99, while the England captain scored 39 runs off 102 balls. For India, Nitish Kumar Reddy had a good day, taking two wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja each took one.