India vs England 1st Test: Joe Root gets special 100th cap in Chennai Test

England captain Joe Root (left) handed over his 100th Test cap by Ben Stokes in Chennai. (Photo: England cricket board)

A little over eight years after his Test match debut in Nagpur against India, England skipper Joe Root completed a major career landmark by claiming his 100th Test cap. At just 30 years of age, Root has become the third youngest cricketer after Alastair Cook (28 years) and India’s Sachin Tendulkar (29 years) to complete 100 Tests. 

Over the last decade, Root has quickly become part of the fab four which includes Indian skipper Virat Kohli, Australia’s Steve Smith and Kane Williamson of New Zealand. The England captain has a phenomenal record in the longest format of the game with 8249 runs at an average of 49.39 before the first Test against India in Chennai. Root has 19 hundreds with a top-score of 254. 

“I think walking out for the first time in England shirt probably (has) been the proudest moment,” Root said in the virtual media conference on Thursday. 

“I look back on walking out to bat and seeing Kevin Pietersen still at other end, someone who I watched as a teenager and as a kid growing up and I just couldn't stop smiling as I was living my childhood dream,” the England skipper added. 

In the drawn Nagpur game on debut, Root made 73 in the first innings and remained unbeaten on 20 in the second. 

“I am happy ever since and if I’m ever going through a lean spell or things aren't quite falling for me, then try and look back at that moment and remember what that feeling was like and just almost trying to embrace that,” Root said. 

Root was handed over his 100th Test cap by teammate and England all-rounder Ben Stokes in Chennai on Friday morning. The game was also the 50th Test for England wicketkeeper batsman Jos Buttler. 

“That really excited young lad... Bring that into the current situation because as I am still making the dream, so that probably is the one thing that stands out, something I always go back to and look fondly on,” he said. 

Root also said that, usually, he tries to relax as much as he can ahead of an important series. 

“I just try and relax as much as I can. I think naturally, you will always think about what combination, in terms of the bowling group and trying to figure out in your own mind how you're going to score your runs,” the 30-year-old said.