The record-breaking stats from Root's remarkable innings

By the time Root fell to Shahbaz Nadeem for 218 he had reached the highest score by a player making their 100th Test appearance, and had overtaken England’s previous best Test score in India – a record previously held by Mike Gatting’s 207 in 1985.

During the course of his innings Root overtook Alec Stewart to become the third leading run-scorer in England Test history, behind only Graham Gooch and Sir Alastair Cook. And in 2021 alone he has climbed five places in that list, overtaking England legends David Gower, Geoffrey Boycott, Kevin Pietersen and Alec Stewart.

In just three matches this year, Root has already scored more runs (644) than any England player did in the entirety of 2020 – a year in which they played nine Tests.

Those numbers are even more striking because, by his own lofty standards, 2020 was a relatively lean spell for Root. He averaged a steady but unremarkable 42.18 and failed to score a hundred in any of his eight Tests, prompting a period of self-reflection ahead of a calendar year in 2021 that could define his legacy as both a batter and a captain.

“I’ve spent a lot of time just by myself working,” Root said following his double-century in Galle last month. “There’s been so much time to look back at things, look back at old footage.

“I watch footage from cricket around the world. Some of the best players, like Kane (Williamson) at the minute, are playing unbelievably well. I watch and learn how he goes about his batting - you have to learn off your peers and keep trying to advance your game.

“I have changed quite a few things. Tried to get more rhythm into my batting, using some triggers when the bowler is running in.”

And those tweaks to his technique appear to have worked wonders for the England captain.

Root's Test record in 2021 so far

That form will be a huge fillip ahead of a packed year, one that is set to include at least 12 more Tests for England, including the home and away series against India, a visit of New Zealand, the start of the Ashes, and potentially an appearance in the ICC World Test Championship final.

The debate over cricket’s 'Big Four' has seen Joe Root struggle to match the game’s other leading run-scorers in recent years, with Pakistan’s Babar Azam threatening to usurp him in that famous quartet. But Root’s run-scoring feats in 2021 have re-established his status as one of the game’s most feared batters – something that Kohli had forewarned in his pre-Test media conference.

“As international cricketers, you understand impact players when you see them, and Joe's been one of them for a while now,” Kohli said. “As an opposition, you always try and disrupt the opponent’s best players, and Joe is always one of those when we play England.

“He is that vital wicket that we will look to get early on, and that's a compliment to his game, to his longevity, to his consistency over so many years.”

Kohli's men failed to get Root "early on", and his average in India is now up to 66.83 in his seventh Test, higher than in any other country.

“It's a bit frightening when you're at the other end and he makes it look so easy”, said Ben Stokes at the end of play on day two. The pair put on 124 before Stokes fell for 82 in the afternoon session.

“At the moment he's in incredible form,” the England all-rounder continued. “To play as well as he's done in conditions that are alien to English batsmen is phenomenal.”

Root joins an illustrious list of only 15 players in the sport’s history to hit 20 centuries before turning 31. With likely 12 more Tests in which to build on that record before his next birthday (30 December), few would back against him soaring up that list in the next 11 months.

Players to score 20 Test hundreds before turning 31

• Sachin Tendulkar (33)
• Alastair Cook (28)
• Virat Kohli (26)
• Steve Smith (26)
• Ricky Ponting (25)
• Jacques Kallis (24)
• Kane Williamson (24)
• Sunil Gavaskar (23)
• Graeme Smith (23)
• Mahela Jayawardene (22)
• Hashim Amla (21)
• Don Bradman (21)
• AB de Villiers (21)
• Joe Root (20)
• David Warner (20)