'World record vs National record' - Joe Root's record-breaking Test century sparks Kohli-Tendulkar debate

Joe Root went past Alastair Cook's record for the most Test hundreds for England during the second Test versus Sri Lanka in Lord's on Saturday, August 31. While the capacity crowd congratulated the legendary batter after he reached his 34th Test century on Day 3, some compared the moment to Virat Kohli's landmark 50th ODI century against New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup.

It is important to note that Root created a national record on Saturday, while Kohli had broken a world record last year at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Some fans are struggling to comprehend how the achievements are being linked to one another.

Also Read: ‘No better feeling’ - Joe Root after surpassing Alastair Cook’s century record

Notably, last year, Kohli broke Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most tons in the ODI format with a match-winning 117 against New Zealand. The legendary Tendulkar was present in the stands when Kohli broke his record. The Master Blaster was spotted proudly applauding the Delhi batter's monumental achievement.

On Saturday, Cook saw his former deputy Root breaking his record from the historic Lord's commentary box. The former England opener applauded the effort from Root as the latter basked in the glory. Following this priceless moment, some fans started drawing parallels with the Kohli-Tendulkar incident from last November.

After applauding Root, Cook, while on commentary for BBC, said: “He is, quite simply, England's greatest. And it's absolutely right, he should have the record on his own. Take it in, Joe. We are watching a genius."

Also Read: Watch: Joe Root hugs father after record-breaking century against Sri Lanka at Lord's

In the first innings, Root scored a fluent 143 off 206 balls to equal Cook's record. He followed it up with a 121-ball 103 in the second innings to script history. On the back of Root's ton in the second innings, England set Sri Lanka in improbable target of 483. The tourists finished Day 3 at 53/2, still needing 433 runs to restore parity in the series.