Skipper Joe Root hit a sparkling century in his 100th Test to help England start solidly in the opening Test against India on Friday.
Root took a single off spinner Washington Sundar to complete his 20th Test ton, and raised his bat to an applauding England dressing room in Chennai.
The in-form batsman – who made his Test debut in India in 2012 and is playing after match-winning knocks of 228 and 186 in Sri Lanka – swept the the Indian spinners around the stadium as he reached the landmark in 164 balls.
The English captain led from the front as England dominated the first day at Chennai. Here’s how Twitter reacted to Root’s brilliance with the bat.
Read: Joe Root joins elite group with century in 100th Test match
(With AFP inputs)
Three hundreds in three consecutive Tests for Joe Root, in 2021:
— ICC (@ICC) February 5, 2021
💥 228 v Sri Lanka
💥 186 v Sri Lanka
💥 100* v India (today) pic.twitter.com/pVEy0s8qSD
Different level @root66 !!! #INDvENG #Rrrroooooootttttttt
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 5, 2021
Magnificent 100 in his 100th Test for @root66 Its been a Subcontinent masterclass yet again. Loved his technique and approach especially against Spinners. #INDvsENG #class #leadingfromthefront
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) February 5, 2021
Great way to start the series, skipper leading from the front and showing the way! Well played @root66 👏 100 in 100th test👌 #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/LJrEqw7kUi
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) February 5, 2021
Typical exceptional batsman’s hundred. Made with plenty left in the tank. 👏👏👏#JoeRoot
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) February 5, 2021
@root66 what a player!!!!!!! 💯
— Ian Bell (@Ian_Bell) February 5, 2021
Brilliant hundred in 100th test! Congratulations #JoeRoot #INDvENG
— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha) February 5, 2021
We are watching greatness. What a cricketer.
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) February 5, 2021
Bosh! What an achievement for @root66 scoring a century in his 100th test match, and doing so in some style. A sublime innings. Well played. 💯💯👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) February 5, 2021
A century in a 100th test for @root66. He has been magnificent. Love how he has targetted bowlers.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 5, 2021
Joe Root is making up for the lost centuries in a rush #INDvENG
— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) February 5, 2021
Satellite TV, terrestrial TV - it’s all the same to Root. Brilliant innings.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) February 5, 2021
Conventional when it comes to his defence. Classy when he plays cover drive & punches. Unorthodox when he plays switch hit.Decisive when he plays spin. Extremely confident while playing sweep, reverse sweep.Not an average Joe but he’s an exceptional Joe
— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) February 5, 2021
Joe Root: what a player!
Century in 100th Test:
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) February 5, 2021
Cowdrey 104
Miandad 145
Greenidge 149
Stewart 105
Inzamam 184
Ponting 120 & 143*
G Smith 131
Amla 134
JOE ROOT #INDvENG
100 - Joe Root has now hit a century in 3 successive Tests, only Ken Barrington has managed a longer run for England (4 in a row on two occasions). Masterclass. #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/lYq4AT4dgd
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) February 5, 2021
Joe Root is the first cricketer born in the 1990s to play 100 Tests #INDvENG
— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) February 5, 2021
Joe Root has now faced more balls in Tests in 2021 than he did in 2020, having played five fewer matches. #IndvEng
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) February 5, 2021