Joe Root has been hailed as England's greatest batter by former captain Alastair Cook and cricket pundit Michael Vaughan following his record-breaking 34th Test century against Sri Lanka at Lord's. Root scored 143 in the first innings and 103 in the second, marking the first instance of back-to-back hundreds in a single Test for him and surpassing Cook's previous record of 33 Test centuries. Cook, who was present during the match, praised Root's batting prowess and described him as a 'genius', noting his remarkable ability to score runs with a sense of inevitability. Root's achievement places him fourth on the all-time list of players with the most Test centuries, while his performances at Lord's have set several ground records. With only 96 runs needed to surpass Cook's overall Test run tally, Root could soon become the fifth-highest run-scorer in Test history. Both Cook and Vaughan emphasized Root's exceptional technique and role as a model cricketer.