Root Equals Ponting While Stokes And Carey Create New Ashes Milestones

Joe Root’s latest hundred pushed him into rare territory. He has 41 Test centuries, placing him joint third alongside Ricky Ponting. There are only Sachin Tendulkar (51) and Jacques Kallis (45).

Root has scored 24 Test centuries since the beginning of 2021. No one else has more than ten in this stretch, with Harry Brook, Kane Williamson, Steven Smith, and Shubman Gill tied on ten each.

Root’s 24 centuries across six calendar years are only behind Ponting and Matthew Hayden, who scored 26 between 2001 and 2006. 

He has 17 Test scores of 150 or higher, the fifth-highest in history. Among England players, Root leads the list, ahead of Alastair Cook’s 11.

Root also has 150-plus innings across seven different countries. Only Tendulkar and Younis Khan have managed the feat in more nations, achieving it in eight.

Conversion Rate Dominance From Root

Root has turned his last five 50-plus scores into centuries, beginning after his unbeaten 53 against India at Leeds. It marks the first time in his career that he has converted five fifties in a row.

He previously managed runs of four consecutive conversions in both 2022 and 2024. Root is also the first England batter to turn five straight fifties into hundreds since Alastair Cook, who achieved six between 2012 and 2013.

Carey Shines, Stokes Reaches Leadership Landmark

Alex Carey has enjoyed an impressive Ashes series as wicketkeeper. He has been involved in 27 dismissals, including 26 catches and one stumping. Brad Haddin (29 in 2013) and Rod Marsh (28 in 1982-83) are the only keepers with more dismissals in a single Ashes series. Carey is likely to have another innings, giving him a chance to pass them.

Since he was made captain, Ben Stokes has been successful with the ball. During his time as captain, he has managed to take 40 wickets in the first spells of Test innings. Five bowlers have made more within the same period. Mitchell Starc has 48 wickets, which is the sole fast bowler in that category.

All in all, Stokes has been able to capture 77 Test wickets as captain. That number puts him level with Bob Willis, also on 77, but Stokes has reached the mark in just 18 matches.

Stokes’ battles with Starc continue to stand out, as he has now been dismissed 14 times by the Australian left-armer, the most dismissals he has suffered against any bowler, and also the most Starc has claimed against one batter. 

Only ten bowler-batter matchups in Test history have produced a higher tally, and only one of those has come in the last twenty years, with Stuart Broad removing David Warner 17 times.