The Manchester Test between England and India witnessed a masterclass from Joe Root, who once again rose to the occasion to steer his side with a century that was as significant as it was stylish. On a surface offering variable bounce and testing the patience of batters, Root held firm, showcasing why he remains one of the most reliable forces in Test cricket.

Joe Root slams 38th Test ton, twelfth against India

It was on the very first ball of the 96th over when Root reached his 38th Test hundred. Facing debutant Anshul Kamboj, the English stalwart flicked a delivery gently towards the fine-leg boundary to bring up the landmark. As the crowd at Old Trafford erupted in unison, chanting “Roooooot”, the 33-year-old removed his helmet and acknowledged the applause with his usual understated grace.

This ton marked Root’s 12th century against India, underlining his dominance over one of the world’s top bowling line-ups. It was a knock crafted with poise and precision—Root batted with immense control, rotated the strike efficiently, and punished the loose deliveries. Whether it was spin or pace, the Yorkshireman had an answer for everything thrown at him.

Despite surviving a run-out scare and negotiating some low bounce on the previous day, Root never looked flustered. His innings was a mix of patience, class, and timely aggression—hallmarks of his red-ball batting excellence.

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Root’s red-ball dominance cements his legacy as modern-day legend

Since the start of 2021, Root has scored more Test centuries than any other batter in the world. With 21 hundreds in this period, he has comfortably left behind the likes of Steven Smith and Kane Williamson, who are tied with 10 each. The numbers alone speak volumes, but it is Root’s consistency, adaptability, and hunger for runs that make him stand out as a generational great.

Here’s how fans reacted:

Test century: 3️⃣8️⃣

Joe Root continues to defy description.

He is 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. pic.twitter.com/66KNLgp59O

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 25, 2025

Test century no.38 for Joe Root 💯#WTC27 | #ENGvIND 📝: https://t.co/FGxBigGy6J pic.twitter.com/SnnfHLtf8F

— ICC (@ICC) July 25, 2025

100 FOR JOE ROOT!!! 👑

The Party Stand rises to acknowledge a special innings from a special player 👏#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/UAJ92Fn1ka

— England’s Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) July 25, 2025

38TH TEST HUNDRED BY ROOT.

– Joe Root, the greatest ever from England has notched up his 38th century in Test cricket. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mOz6BMFWFa

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 25, 2025

JOE ROOT SCORED 21 CENTURIES IN THE LAST 5 YEARS.

G O A T PLAYER IN TESTS.#Joeroot #INDVsENGLive pic.twitter.com/vozr2l9Blq

— Cric Venky (@VenkyK_Offic) July 25, 2025

Test century number 3️⃣8️⃣ for Joe Root 🔥
What a player 🥶👏#JoeRoot #ENGvIND #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/2pM80As7hE

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) July 25, 2025

🐐 Joe Root creates HISTORY vs 🇮🇳 — Most Test 100s vs India! 🔥

💯 38th Test Century, 2nd of the series in Manchester! 🏏#JoeRoot #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/svIA0KQX36

— Kholinati!on_👑🚩 (@cryptoHolder09) July 25, 2025

What an unbelievable milestone for @englandcricket batter @root66 to pass Australia’s Ricky Ponting and move to second on the all-time Test run-scorer list for men, behind India’s one and only @sachin_rt. Well done, Joe! #WTC27 pic.twitter.com/ZI5TqBruQo

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) July 25, 2025

ROOOOOOOOOOOT!!!
Another day, yet another Test century for England’s greatest ever batsman. Running out of superlatives for this mercurial machine. He makes it look SO easy.
Congrats ⁦@root66⁩ 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/wznMkkFd16

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 25, 2025

Test hundred number 38! Just another day in the office for Joe Root. What a champion. Well played @root66 👏🏻 #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/JJ3Ey1bCNv

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) July 25, 2025

Remember the Name @root66 #JoeRoot pic.twitter.com/GcNOlKaqcq

— Ravi Teja Sunkari (@saradagakasepu4) July 25, 2025

Take a bow @root66 second all time test runs scored in the world 🏏 @englandcricket pic.twitter.com/YuWvBqB6Q7

— Rob DJ (@RobDJofficial) July 25, 2025

Roooottttt !!!!
Surpasses Pointing & Becomes 2nd Most Run Getter In Test.@root66 Congratz Man 🤝#ENGvsIND #Root #JR66 #TestCricket #ENGvINDTest #joeroot #66 pic.twitter.com/M2BquwuQQm

— SURENDER SINGH 💗 (@Surende26790545) July 25, 2025

Can we just give @root66 his knighthood now please? #ENGvIND #TestCricket

— brett sanders (@brettsanders1) July 25, 2025

What a player!! @root66 🏏💯👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿#ENGvIND #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/e4HGPNbs91

— Kamran Ali (@Kam007Ali) July 25, 2025

Yet another @ECB_cricket century from @root66 🏏😎👌👍 #ENGvsIND #ENGvINDTest #JoeRoot pic.twitter.com/1fnV05fN1B

— Glenn W (@Glenntravel) July 25, 2025

Also READ: ENG vs IND: Fans express outrage as Ollie Pope and Joe Root frustrate Indian bowling lineup on Day 3 of fourth Test