Root hits back with hundred

England batsman Joe Root said on Saturday he was glad to return to form in India with his unbeaten 122, admitting his poor “execution” earlier in the tour had weighed on him.

Root registered his 31st Test century in the fourth Test in Ranchi to pull England out of trouble after managing just 77 runs in the first three matches.

The former captain guided England to 353 all out after the tourists had slipped to 5-112 in the first session on Friday.

Root batted for more than six hours and faced 274 balls in a display that marked a temporary departure from England’s attacking ‘Bazball’ style.

“It was nice to finally get some runs in this series,” said Root, who has 11,692 runs over 139 Tests.

“It felt like it’s been a long time coming, it’s been a lean series individually for me. You pride yourself as a senior player … to try and make contributions that put you in positions to win games,” he said.

Root was severely criticised after England’s third Test loss in Rajkot for sacrificing his wicket to an impetuous reverse scoop shot off Jasprit Bumrah.

His wicket triggered an England batting collapse and the tourists lost their second successive Test, with India now leading the five-match series 2-1.

“Certainly the execution of the shots has weighed on me,” said Root. “Not necessarily the selection but the execution, I’m better than that.”

He said he was briefly tempted to bring up his century in Ranchi with a similar shot.

“It was a fleeting and selfish thought that left my mind very quickly,” Root said.