Joe Root reaches yet another milestone

England skipper, Joe Root continues to make merry off the opposition team’s bowling attack, no matter which team he’s up against. The ongoing second Test match between England and West Indies at Headingley saw the prolific batsman hit yet another half-century, bestowing him with a remarkable milestone. With the score of 59 runs off 98 balls on the first day of the Headingley Test, Root equaled AB De Villiers‘ record of scoring 50 or more runs in 12 consecutive matches.

The 3-Test Match Series between England and the Windies kicked off on an ominous note for the latter, as England cruised to victory by a staggering margin of an innings and 209 runs in the first Test held at Edgbaston. Root, on his part, smashed an innings of 136 runs off 189 deliveries, bringing up his 13th Test ton. The second Test is currently poised delicately at the end of the first day, with England having been bowled out for 258 runs and Windies bowlers, Shanon Gabriel and Kemar Roach having scalped 4 wickets apiece.

Joe Root equals De Villiers’ record

With his score of 59 runs in the first innings at Headingley, Root registered his 31st half-century, before getting out to leg-spinner, Devendra Bishoo. The right-hander successfully equalled the South African star, AB De Villier’s record of scoring 50 runs or more in 12 consecutive innings. Currently, Root’s score sheet of the last 12 Tests that he has played reads 56, 124, 53, 78, 77, 88, 190, 78, 50, 52, 136, 59. Interestingly, De Villiers’ had found the golden touch between November 2012 to February 2014 to have achieved this feat.

Root’s stupendous form marked it’s beginning in last year’s Dhaka Test against Bangladesh, where he scored 56 runs in the first innings. Subsequently, he recorded scores of 124 (first Test, first innings), 53 (second Test, first innings), 78 (third Test, second innings), 77 (fourth Test, second innings), 88 (fifth Test, first innings) against India.

The purple patch continued for the stylish batsman against South Africa, where he batted exquisitely to record scores of 190 (first Test, first innings), 78 (second Test, first innings), 50 (third Test, second innings) and 52 (fourth Test, first innings) against South Africa.