Root provides England command of opening Test against Sri Lanka

GALLE: England captain Joe Root hit an unbeaten 168 as his side built up a lead of 185 over Sri Lanka on a rain-hit second day of the opening Test. England were 320 for four when rain halted play in Galle. Root and Dan Lawrence, who scored 73 on his Test debut, built a 173-run partnership after the tourists resumed the day on 127-2.

Root, who is batting with Jos

Buttler (7), hit his 18th Test ton and kept up the pressure on the home bowlers despite losing overnight partner Jonny Bairstow for 47 early in the day. After a full opening day in the empty stadium in Galle, rain started falling just before the start of the second day and wiped out the final session. Root started the day on 66 and passed 100 soon after lunch with a single off Dilruwan Perera.

It was the star batsman’s highest Test score in more than a year after going through 2020 without a century and dropping out of the world top 10 batsmen.

Lawrence, 23, stood firm with his captain, displaying confidence against the spinners as he brought up his fifty in 95 balls.

Lawrence, who plays for English county Essex, survived two dropped catches on 60 and 68 and finally fell to Perera. Brief scores: Sri Lanka 135 vs England 320/4 (Root 168*, Lawrence 73; Embuldeniya 3/131) at stumps on Day 2.