England continued to boss the fifth and final Test of the ongoing Ashes series having taken a lead of 300-plus in the second innings against Australia at the Oval. After Zak Crawley's attacking knock of 73, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow shared an unbeaten 110-run partnership and the visitors are already looking hapless. After getting starts and not converting in the last few innings, former England captain Joe Root finally came up with a substantial score to have something to show for it.
Root slammed his 6-th half-century and achieved and broke a bunch of records. Root first equalled the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar in scoring 300 runs in a Test series for the 19th time, which is the most in Test cricket history. Root was tied with Brian Lara and Rahul Dravid having scored 300-plus runs in a Test series 18 times.
300-plus runs in a Test series most times:
19 - Sachin Tendulkar
19 - Joe Root
18 - Brian Lara
18 - Rahul Dravid
17 - Ricky Ponting
17 - Alastair Cook
Root also equalled Alastair Cook for England batters with most fifty-plus scores - 90. Root, who scored 91, has 30 centuries to his name in the format in addition to 60 half-centuries. Root also equalled former England batter Ian Bell's record of most fifty-plus scores by players from his country - 22.
England batters with most fifty-plus scores in Tests
90 - Alastair Cook
90 - Joe Root
68 - Ian Bell
66 - Graham Gooch
64 - Geoffrey Boycott
England still have five wickets in the bag and will hope to take a lead of around 400 to bat Australia out of the game and level the series 2-2, which will be a moral win considering the Pat Cummins-led side has already retained the Ashes.
