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England captain Joe Root has made an unbeaten 180 out of England’s total of 391, with his side now leading India by 27 after day three of the second Test.
England captain Joe Root has reeled off his fifth century of the year at Lord’s, standing head and shoulders above his teammates and changing the face of the second Test against India.
After his match-saving hundred at Trent Bridge last week, Root went big again at the home of cricket on Saturday, going undefeated through the entire third day to finish on 180 not out.
England reached 391 all out on the back of his stunning effort, enough for a lead of 27 that had looked fanciful after India dominated the first day.
Since turning 30 in December, Root has been in extraordinary form, with knocks of 228 and 186 on the turning tracks of Galle, 218 against India in Chennai and 109 under serious pressure in the rain-affected draw at Nottingham.
Among Englishmen, only Denis Compton and Michael Vaughan have scored more hundreds in a calendar year.
With three more Tests remaining this summer, his current purple patch, which has now seen him take his Test average back above 50 again, suggests he could join them on six sooner rather than later.
Root resumed on his overnight score of 48 and added another 132 in the next six and a half hours at the crease.
Control was the hallmark of Root’s innings, absorbing everything India threw at him on a serene surface and collecting 18 boundaries in the course of a 321-ball epic.
(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Root and fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow resumed with the score at 3-119 and batted all the way through to lunch, scoring 97 chanceless runs in 28 overs.
Bairstow followed Root’s lead to reach a first fifty in two years and 20 innings.
India used Mohammed Siraj as a battering ram at the start of the afternoon session, a ploy that did nothing to ruffle Root’s feathers but unsettled Bairstow.
After ducking into one bouncer and wearing it on the shoulder, he was undone by another, swivelling into a hook but gloving gently to slip for 57.
Root was laser-focused on reaching his hundred and even the arrival of the second new ball did not break his concentration. A sharp piece of fielding on the rope left him on 99 but he had enough to composure to drop Jasprit Bumrah into the offside and nod Jos Buttler through for the single he needed.
Lord’s rose to fete a familiar hero and did so again a few moments later as a flick to fine leg took him past 9,000 Test runs – the second youngest batsman to reach the mark after his predecessor Sir Alastair Cook.
Root coasted through stands of 54 and 58 with Buttler and Moeen Ali, who both hit a couple of pleasing strokes before getting stuck.
Ishant exploited a big gap between Buttler’s bat and pad to bowl him for 23, while Moeen managed an entertaining flurry before tea only to retreat entirely after the break.
Ishant eventually snared his outside edge for 27 and condemned another left-handed all-rounder, Sam Curran, to a first-ball duck.
Root had the satisfaction of overtaking the Indian total when he whipped yet another four off his pads just before 6pm, but was partly responsible for Mark Wood’s run-out moments later.
With James Anderson in place as his eighth partner of the day, Root produced some late fireworks – ramping Siraj outrageously over the slips then stooping to slog-sweep him over midwicket.
Anderson was bowled off the last delivery of the day, leaving Root still unbeaten.
© AAP
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