Joe Root moved past Sachin Tendulkar to record his 69th Test fifty
Root became the first batter to score 1,000-plus Test runs at Edgbaston
England beat Pakistan by eight wickets to complete a 3-0 series sweep
Joe Root added another major record to his remarkable Test career on Saturday, overtaking Sachin Tendulkar for the most half-centuries in the history of the format.
The England captain reached his 69th Test fifty during the third Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston, moving past Tendulkar's tally of 68. Root then stayed unbeaten on 62 off 69 deliveries, hitting nine fours, as England completed an eight-wicket victory while chasing 130.
Jordan Cox provided strong support at the other end, remaining not out on 59 as England reached 130/2 to wrap up a 3-0 series sweep.
Root adds another Edgbaston landmark
Root's latest achievement places him at the top of the list for most fifties in Test cricket. West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul follows with 66, while former Australia captain Allan Border and India legend Rahul Dravid have 63 each. Ricky Ponting is next with 62.
Most fifties in Test cricket
Joe Root – 69
Sachin Tendulkar – 68
Shivnarine Chanderpaul – 66
Allan Border – 63
Rahul Dravid – 63
Ricky Ponting – 62
The England batter also reached another significant milestone at Edgbaston. Root became the first player to score more than 1,000 Test runs at the Birmingham venue.
He has now accumulated over 1,000 Test runs at four different grounds. Root has scored 2,203 runs at Lord's, 1,128 in Manchester and 1,050 at The Oval, besides crossing the four-figure mark at Edgbaston.
Only two players had previously achieved the feat of scoring more than 1,000 Test runs at four different venues, South Africa's Jacques Kallis and Australia's Ponting.
Root's record-breaking performance came on the back of an emphatic series for England. After winning the first two Tests at Headingley and Lord's, England needed just 130 runs in the final innings at Edgbaston to complete a clean sweep.
The hosts lost only two wickets in the chase, with Root and Cox seeing them across the finish line. For Root, the unbeaten knock added another milestone to an already extraordinary Test career, while England's 3-0 triumph underlined their dominance throughout the series.
