NO ORDINARY JOE
Masterblaster Root leads from the front
JOE ROOT produced a captain’s innings that was true to his word that “attack is the best form of defence”.
While England’s batsmen made a sweeping statement, Root regained his place at the top table of global batsmen with his 15th hundred as he pulled the second Test ever closer into England’s grasp.
And with his ton coming from just 120 balls, he took the game to the Sri Lanka spinners in precisely the way he had asked his team to play on a pitch that retained its spinning demons, but was far from the spitting cobra many predicted.
“You want to lead from the front,” said Root as a 46-run deficit was turned into a lead of 278 by the close of day three.
“When you make a statement about how to play then you feel you have to go and play in that manner. It suits the group and the players we have and you have to play to your strengths.
vAt times attack is the best form of defence on a wicket like that.
“On difficult surfaces with extreme spin like there is here, you have to be able to put pressure back on the opposition.”
It did not matter whether the ball was turning sharply from the straight or the rough, nor did it matter who was bowling and which way they were spinning it, Root was equal to every challenge in a way that only the very best can be.
The subcontinent is not a natural playground for English cricketers who have to leave their comfort zone and learn how to play the game in a different way to the one they have grown up with.
It can make talented players look silly and it can be a mental challenge that many succumb to, but not Root.
Just like Alastair Cook, the captain before him, he enjoys the demands in this part of the world and put on one heck of a show.
For pure skill and mastery, this innings was every bit as good as Kevin Pietersen’s for England here in 2012 when he scored 151 from 165 balls to help level the series in Colombo on a dry, spin-friendly surface.
“I enjoyed myself today,” he said. “There were a few filthy hacks in there, but the way you have to think about batting here and the strategies you need makes it really good fun.
“That is what it should be about, you shouldn’t feel like the pressure is too much for you. You should enjoy the occasion and make the most of the opportunity in front of you.”
Where Root has led, many of his team have followed by playing the same expansive style and using the sweep in a very big way. Seven out of the nine English wickets to fall were either to the sweep or reverse-sweep as their batsmen found a formula that brought them success along with their downfall. The only question was whether they could score enough runs before the inevitable occurred. And in several cases such as Rory Burns’ impressive 59 full of sweeping strokes – his first Test 50 – the answer was yes.
Root added: “We said we were going to play in a certain manner in these conditions and the temptation with a deficit in the second innings is to play within your shell and be insular, but the guys set the tone at the top of the order.
“From my point of view, the sweep was almost a safer shot than playing a forward defensive.
“The amount the ball is turning if you play with a straight bat you feel there is a lot of risk.” England might have had an even better day had Burns and Ben Stokes not wasted both reviews on their obvious dismissals.
Both Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid then suffered poor umpiring decisions. 290 (Curran 64, Buttler 63); 336 (Roshen 85, Karunaratne 63; de Silva 59; Leach 3-70, Rashid 3-75) ENGLAND SECOND INNINGS
M Leach lbw b M Perera ................... 1 R Burns lbw b Pushpakumara ....... 59 K Jennings c de Silva b Dananjaya...26 J Root lbw b Dananjaya ................ 124 B Stokes lbw b M Perera .................. 0 J Buttler b Dananjaya .................... 34 M Ali lbw b Dananjaya .................... 10 B Foakes not out ............................. 51 S Curran b Dananjaya ...................... 0 A Rashid lbw b Dananjaya ............... 2 J Anderson not out .......................... 4 b4 lb9 .............................. 13 (76 overs) ........... 324 1-4; 2-77; 3-108; 4-109; 5-183; 6-219; 7-301; 8-301; 9-305
Bowling: K Perera 19-2-87-2; Pushpakumara 26-1-97-1; Dananjaya 23-0-106-6; de Silva 4-0-7-0; Lakmal 4-0-14-0