ROOT-ING FOR YA
‘Genius’ Joe backed to beat Cook record
After Joe Root completed his fifth double hundred for his country – helping them to 555-8 on day two against India in Chennai – former captain Cook called his successor “a genius”.
As red-hot Root made his way back to the pavilion after falling leg before to Shahbaz Nadeem with 218 to his name, another England legend had been chalked off.
Alec Stewart was the latest to be overtaken in terms of runs scored and only Graham Gooch and Cook lie ahead.
And the latter knows that the writing is already on the wall for his own personal record of 12,472 runs.
“I won’t have that record for long,” said Cook. “He’ll go past Goochie and catch up with me because he is so good.
“We’re watching a genius play and he is just batting brilliantly. What more can you say about Joe Root? This innings was an absolute masterclass – he didn’t look in any trouble.”
By the time Root, who now has 8,467
Test runs, had finished he had batted for nine hours and 36 minutes in searing heat.
He had help from Ben Stokes (82) and Ollie Pope (34).
“There was no thought at all of a declaration on the second day,” Stokes said at the close.
“That would be stupid. If you win the toss and bat first, you just get as many runs as you can out here in India.”
It took all of 16 balls for Stokes to hit Test match top gear as if he’d never been away.
Ravi Ashwin tossed one up a little full just outside off stump, certainly worthy of a forward defensive in the early part of an innings, and
Stokes simply stretched out his forearms and bopped
it back over the spinner’s head for six. The all-rounder has not played a red-ball match since August 2020.
He added: “It’s nice to come back in with a bit of time off and spend some time in the middle.
“I’ve had a couple of months away from cricket so it feels good coming back into the side and performing.
“But the most pleasing thing is starting the tour well as a team.”