&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "AUS vs ENG, 5th Ashes: Joe Root goes level with Ricky Ponting after first Test century of 2026")
Joe Root once again led England from the front in Australia, scoring his 41st Test century during the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday (Jan 5). It was his second hundred of the series and his first Test century of 2026. Root reached the milestone off 146 balls and with this century, he equalled Australian great Ricky Ponting’s record for the third-most Test centuries of all time, with only Sachin Tendulkar (51) and Jacques Kallis (45) ahead of him. He matched Ponting’s record despite playing five fewer Tests, achieving the feat in his 163rd match compared to Ponting’s 168.
Starting Day 2 on 72, the 35-year-old batted through the morning session and helped England reach 272/5 in 60 overs. He hit 11 fours and handled a strong Australian bowling attack that included Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Cameron Green and Michael Neser. Before this Ashes series, Root had surprisingly failed to score a hundred in 14 Test matches played in Australia.
England are currently trailing 3-1 in the five-match Ashes series. However, a win in Sydney would still be important for them, as it would earn them 12 valuable points in the World Test Championship 2027, where they are currently placed on the seventh position out of the nine teams.
Also Read - 'I couldn’t believe that...': Ricky Ponting on Shubman Gill being left out of India’s T20 World Cup squad
Batters with most Test centuries
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- Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 51 centuries in 200 matches
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa) - 45 centuries in 166 matches
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 41 centuries in 168 matches
- Joe Root (England) - 41 centuries in 163* matches
- Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) - 38 centuries in 134 matches
- Steve Smith (Australia) - 36 centuries in 123* matches
