Hosts well-rooted

Captain Root scores century to steer England clear

Leeds, Aug. 26: In-form skipper Joe Root smashed yet another hundred as England ended the second day of the third cricket Test at 423 for 8, taking a firstinnings lead of 345 runs against India here on Thursday.

Root once again led from the front with his 8th hundred against India, a splendid 121 off 165 balls laced with 14 hits to the fence.

He added 139 runs with Dawid Malan (70) before sharing a 52-run stand with Jonny Bairstow (29) to put England in a commanding position with three days to go in the match.

At the draw of stumps, Craig Overton (24) and Ollie Robinson (0) were at the crease.

For India, Mohammed Shami (3/87) was the most successful bowler with three wickets, while Ravindra Jadeja (2/88), Mohammed Siraj (2/86) and Jasprit Bumrah (1/58) were the other wickettakers.

On Wednesday, England had dismissed India for a paltry 78 in 40.4 overs.

ROOT EQUALS ENGLAND

CENTURIES RECORD

During the course of his knock, Root equalled the England record for most Test centuries in a calendar year when he compiled his sixth hundred of 2021.

Only Denis Compton

(1947) and Michael Vaughan (2002) have previously scored as many Test hundreds in a calendar year for England.

Root completed his third hundred in as many matches on the second day of the third Test at his Yorkshire home ground when he clipped Ishant Sharma through midwicket for a

12th four in just 124 balls faced.

He was eventually out for

121 when he was bowled by Jasprit Bumrah.

This innings followed his

109 in the rain-marred drawn first Test at Trent Bridge and his 180 not out during India’s 151-run win at Lord’s that put the tourists 1-0 up in the fivematch series.

But with India dismissed for just 78 in their first innings on Wednesday, Root’s 23rd Test hundred — only Alastair Cook with 33 has made more for England — saw the hosts heading towards a lead of 300 runs.

Root made 228 and 186 in two separate Tests against Sri Lanka in Galle in January before compiling a masterful 218 against India in Chennai the following month.

And with two more matches to come in the ongoing India series, and with three Ashes encounters in Australia scheduled before the end of 2021, England captain Root could yet break the all-time record of nine Test hundreds in a calendar year set by Pakistan’s Mohammed Yousuf in 2006. — Agencies

— AFP England captain Joe Root (left) and Dawid Malan touch gloves as they talk between overs on the second day of the third Test against India at Headingley cricket ground in Leeds, northern England, on Thursday.