NZ vs ENG: Joe Root Draws Level With Rahul Dravid For Most Centuries in Test Cricket

Joe Root on Sunday (December 8) drew level with Indian great Rahul Dravid for most centuries in Test cricket after the England batter smashed his 36th hundred in the longest format.

Root reached the milestone during day 3 of the second Test between England and New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. England's golden boy scored 106 off 130 balls to help his side set a massive fourth innings target for the Kiwis.

The 33-year-old Root is now only behind four other icons of the game - India's Sachin Tendulkar, Australia's Ricky Ponting, South Africa's Jacques Kallis and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara. Next in Root's sight is Sangakkara, who has 38 Test tons to his name.

Most Centuries in Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 51 hundreds in 329 innings
Jacques Kallis (South Africa) - 45 hundreds in 280 innings
Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 41 hundreds in 287 innings
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) - 38 hundreds in 233 innings
Joe Root (England) - 36 hundreds in 276 innings
Rahul Dravid (India) - 36 hundreds in 286 innings

With this latest hundred, Root also moved four clear of his two rivals in the big four, leaving behind Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand's Kane Williamson, who both have 32 hundreds to their name. India's Virat Kohli has 30 tons to make up the top four for active cricketers with most Test centuries.

Also, Root levelled his own record for most centuries in a single year in Tests. The ton against New Zealand was Root's sixth this year. His previous hundreds came against against India, West Indies, twice against Sri Lanka and a double ton in Pakistan.

The England batter is now only one behind drawing level for second most Test hundreds in a single year. With at least one more Test left before the year comes to a close, Root will look to go level with the likes of Sir Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Aravinda De Silva and Ricky Ponting.

Most Test Hundreds in a Calendar Year

9 Hundreds - Mohammad Yusuf (Pakistan)
7 Hundreds - Viv Richards (West Indies), Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka), Ricky Ponting (Australia), Sachin Tendulkar (India)
6 Hundreds - Denis Compton (England), Garfield Sobers (West Indies), Matthew Hayden (Australia), Michael Vaughan (England), Ricky Ponting (Australia), Damien Martyn (Australia), Graeme Smith (South Africa), Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), David Warner (Australia), Steve Smith (Australia), Joe Root (England), Jonny Bairstow (England)

Among the above list, Root, Steve Smith and Ponting have achieved 6 centuries in a single year twice. Root previously scored 6 hundreds in 2021. He is the third England player to score 6 Test hundreds in a calendar year along with Denis Compton in 1947 and Jonny Bairstow in 2022.