During Thursday’s first Test match against Pakistan at Headingley, England Test captain Joe Root tied Indian batting star Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most fifties in Test cricket. On Day 2, Root reached his 68th Test half-century before getting bowled for 66 off 112 deliveries. He scored ten boundaries during his innings. At the tea break on Day 2, Root led England to a score of 239-4.
After being bowled out for 171 in their first innings, Pakistan trailed by 68 runs. In this series against Pakistan, Root took up England’s Test leadership once more, and his performance at Headingley was crucial to his team’s dominant position at halftime.
Root joined Tendulkar at the top of the chart for most 50-plus scores in Test cricket with his 68th fifty. The legendary Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies comes next with 66 fifties, followed by the legendary Rahul Dravid of India and former Australian captain Allan Border with 63.
| Rank | Player Name | Country | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | India | 68 |
| 2 | Joe Root | England | 68 |
| 3 | Shivanarine Chanderpaul | West Indies | 66 |
| 4 | Allan Border | Australia | 66 |
| 5 | Rahul Dravid | India | 66 |
With his 42nd such performance, Root is now fifth in the elite record for most Test captain scores of 50 or more. Graeme Smith, the former captain of South Africa, is at the top of the list with 61, followed by Misbah-ul-Haq of Pakistan (43), Border (51), and Ricky Ponting (54).
With 66 Test fifties, Shivnarine Chanderpaul is two behind the joint leaders in third place on the all-time list. Rahul Dravid and Allan Border, who have both scored 63 fifties during their Test careers, are tied for fourth place. The difference between Chanderpaul and the fourth-place duo, as well as between Root and Chanderpaul, highlights how uncommon it is to maintain this level of consistency across an extended Test career.
