Joe Root slammed a masterful 150 during the first innings of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Root has now covered some decent ground on Sachin Tendulkar in the list for most runs in Test cricket.

As Joe Root slams his 41s Test century, we take a look at how close is the England batter to breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s Test hundreds and runs world record.

Joe Root struck a superb century on Day 2 of the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG, equalling Ricky Ponting’s record of 41 Test hundreds as his dominant 160 anchored England’s first-innings total of 384

Smith backed away to hit a shoulder-high short ball over the off side but found Scott Boland at deep cover. He was dismissed by part-time pacer Marnus Labuschagne for 46 off 76 balls. The new ball was taken five to six overs after his dismissal.

JOE ROOT scored his 41st Test century but England endured another dismal day in the Ashes. Apart from Root’s excellence, there were yet more sloppy shots by England’s batsmen and then the bowlers

Joe Root added another century to his impressive Test tally with a memorable innings against Australia at the SCG. Check out how close he is to Sachin Tendulkar's record now.

Joe Root has cut the gap between himself and Sachin Tendulkar to under 2000 runs in Test cricket after his masterful 160 in the first innings of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Check how long it can take for Root to break Tendulkar's record.

Root, 35, has a central contract until the summer of 2027, when England will look to regain the Ashes on home soil, but England’s greatest ever run-scorer also has his sights set on a fifth tour in Australia in four years.

The right-handed batter scored his 41st Test hundred at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday, achieving the milestone in his 163rd Test match.

Off the former, he scored just 3 off 7 deliveries, a dot and a single before Smith's demise. Against Head, he cracked a couple of freebie fours - a drag down pulled fine, a sweep from one tossed up outside off - among seven singles and four dots.

Shubman Gill is the closest all-round challenger on output and conversion. He has 1,849 runs at an average of 54.38 with eight hundreds in the same window, the kind of profile that screams sustained purple patch.