Root holds tight as England take lead
Nottingham, Aug. 7: Skipper Joe Root led from the front with a superb counter-attacking hundred but Jasprit Bumrah’s fivewicket haul on the fourth day made India favourites to chase down a tricky victory target of 209 against England in the first Test.
In the time left during the penultimate hour, India scored 52 for one with Stuart Broad dismissing KL Rahul (26 off 38 balls) with a beauty. Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara were unbeaten on 12 each.
It was Root’s 21st Test hundred — a masterful 109 off 172 balls, that saw England put up a muchimproved batting show, scoring 303 in 85.5 overs and secure a lead of 208 runs.
Bumrah (5/64 in 19 overs) polished the tail in a jiffy with the second now ball en route to his sixth five-wicket haul.
However, the Indian bowlers were taken to task by the England captain, whose mode of survival for the better part of the innings was swift counterattack that fetched him as many as 14 boundaries before Bumrah got one to rear up ensuring Rishabh Pant had the easiest of catches.
The difference between an easy target of 150 and a “neither here nor there” kind of target was primarily Root.
On the final day, if weather permits, India will need another 157 runs but in these conditions, it could prove to be more than a handful with James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson making the ball talk.
Sam Curran is also expected to play a decent supporting role.
However the day belonged to Root, who once again bossed the Indian bowling having scored a half-century in the first essay.
Fully aware about the potency of the four-pronged Indian pace and seam attack, Root, who came out at 46 for 2, never for once batted for survival. He left that for Dom Sibley (28 off 133 balls) during their 89 run stand in which he was the primary scorer.