India-England Series Breaks Historic Records as Joe Root Reaches New Milestone

LONDON – The ongoing five-Test series between India and England has entered the record books, producing an unprecedented 50 scores of fifty or more — the highest ever in a single Test series. This milestone eclipses the previous record of 49 fifty-plus scores set during the 1920–21 Ashes series.

So far, the series has seen 19 centuries and 31 half-centuries. India leads the chart with 28 fifty-plus contributions, while England has added 22 to the tally. In terms of overall runs, this series has also become the highest-scoring five-match Test series in cricket history, surpassing the long-standing record of 6,606 runs set during the 1928–29 Ashes between England and Australia.

Though the 1993 Ashes series also saw 50 fifty-plus scores, that mark came across six matches. The ongoing India-England contest is the first to reach the figure within five Tests, highlighting the extraordinary consistency and batting depth on display.

Joe Root Reaches 6,000 WTC Runs, Tops All-Time List

Adding to the historic flavor of the series, England’s Joe Root achieved yet another remarkable feat on Sunday by becoming the first player to score 6,000 runs in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

The 34-year-old achieved the milestone during his 69th WTC appearance, continuing his reign as the competition’s all-time leading run-scorer. Root’s WTC record is staggering: 20 centuries and 23 fifties at an average exceeding 52.

His consistency has kept him ahead of elite contemporaries like Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben Stokes, and Travis Head, all of whom trail behind in the WTC run-scorers list.

Earlier in the series at Manchester, Root surpassed cricketing greats Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-getter in men’s Test cricket overall. He now shares the fourth spot for most Test centuries (38) alongside Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara.

Record for Most Catches in Test Cricket

In addition to his batting exploits, Root also added another feather to his cap by becoming the all-time leader for most catches by a non-wicketkeeper in Test cricket — a testament to his all-round value in the field.

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As the series heads toward its conclusion, both teams continue to battle not just for victory, but for a place in cricketing history — a feat already well underway.