England captain Joe Root has scored his 23rd Test match century in the third game of the ongoing series against India, breaking a remarkable record held by his predecessor Sir Alastair Cook in the process.
Root has been in imperious form with the bat for England so far this year and his hundred at Headingley was his sixth in 2021.
He has also broken the record held by Cook for the most runs in a calendar year by an England captain, surpassing Cook's 1,364 in 2015.
Root's hundred was also his 39th in international cricket, meaning he has now gone past Cook to score the most centuries for England in all formats.
He also equalled the record for the most Test hundreds in a calendar year by an Englishman, going level with Michael Vaughan and Denis Compton.
Root celebrated emotionally on his home ground and looks set to break that record at some point this summer.
Speaking on commentary for BBC Test Match Special, former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta said: "He's been unstoppable throughout the year.
"It's been absolutely magnificent. He's had complete control of this innings. I don't remember him playing any false shot at all."
Root became England's all-time leading run scorer across all formats earlier in this series and James Anderson believes he will "absolutely" go on to become England's all-time leading Test run scorer.
"He can absolutely go on and break that record, he has been amazing throughout his career," Anderson said.
"And over the last 12 months in particular with everything that we’ve been through with the pandemic, the pressures on this team.
"To be able to captain the side and still perform the way he has done has been nothing less than superhuman.
"I’ve got a lot of time for Joe and I couldn’t speak highly enough of him, and every time he goes out there he shows his class. I am sure there is much more to come from him."
