Joe Root eyes illustrious records in Chennai Test against India

England Test captain Joe Root will be eyeing two illustrious records when he takes the field against India in the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on February 5. Root was in splendid form during England's recent 2-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka where the English skipper amassed 426 runs in 2 Tests. 

Root is all set to play his 100th Test match, which will put him in an elite list of England cricketers with over 100 Test appearances. And Root's 100th Test will also provide an opportunity for him to surpass his former captain Alastair Cook for a unique batting record against India. 

Root, thus far, has 49 Test half-centuries under his belt, putting him second on the list of most half-centuries scored by an English batsman in the longest format of the game. Cook leads the chart with as many as 57 Test fifties. Hence, a single fifty by Root in the Chennai Test against India will make him only the second English batsman to post 50 half-centuries in Test cricket. 

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The 30-year-old is eyeing another landmark in Test cricket as the England captain is just one fifty away from scoring most half-centuries against India in the impending series. If Root scores a half-century in the Chennai Test, he will overtake Cook's record of scoring most half-centuries by an English batsman against India. Both Root and Cook are tied at nine half-centuries against India. 

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Meanwhile, batsman Ollie Pope has been added to the England Test squad for the tour of India. Pope has fully recovered from a left shoulder injury sustained in August 2020 against Pakistan. The England medical team are satisfied that he is available for selection. The 23-year-old has practised with the full squad over the past two days.