[Watch] Joe Root gets 'a hero's welcome' in the Lord's Long Room after match-winning hundred in ENG vs NZ 1st Test
Former England captain Joe Root was welcomed back into the Lord's Long Room with thunderous applause from all the MCC members and also from a few of his teammates.
The 31-year-old completed 10,000 runs in Test cricket and also his 26th Test hundred to help England take a 1-0 lead over the Kiwis.
Some MCC members applauded Joe Root as he entered the Long Room. It was then followed by a warm hug from captain Ben Stokes and also other players like Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, and James Anderson.
As he climbed up the stairs, Root was congratulated by more MCC members and from his support staff as he entered the dressing room. Here's the video posted by England Cricket on Twitter:
A hero's welcome for @Root66! 👏
🏴 #ENGvNZ 🇳🇿 https://t.co/V7wa3aJt1a
Joe Root's incredible 115* arguably one of his best
Joe Root has been in sensational form over the past one and a half years, scoring hundreds and double centuries for fun.
But given the match situation and the fact that this was his first hundred in the fourth innings of a Test, this century will arguably be the most special to him.
Although New Zealand's batting collapsed in their second innings, Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell's huge partnership had put them in a strong position to win the Test match.
England were bundled out for just 141 in their first innings and so the target of 277 from the outset looked beyond their reach. Naturally, Root was going to play a crucial role and he did that to perfection.
Age when reaching 10,000 Test runs:
Sir Alastair Cook:
31 years & 157 days
Joe Root:
31 years & 157 days
🤯 https://t.co/m1ujC9aOMg
Despite England being 69/4 at one point, Root kept his composure and built an important partnership of 90 with captain Stokes. At 159/5, the Kiwis were considered favorites as they removed Stokes.
However, Root ensured he was there till the end and along with Ben Foakes, took England comfortably past the target.