ROOT’S CAUSE FOR KNEES UP

Joe century starts the party

JOE ROOT’S ton set up the oneday series as England hit back with a vengeance at Lord’s.

A gritty knock from the Yorkshireman provided the perfect platform for Eoin Morgan & Co as they turned the tables on India with a no-nonsense 86-run triumph to level the series 1-1.

Now it’s all to play for in the finale at Headingley on Tuesday.

Root saw his team through to the bitter end, paving the way for England to gain revenge for their eight-wicket drubbing at Trent Bridge.

Brakes

even though mystery spinner Kuldeep Yadav grabbed three wickets – to go with the six he took in Nottingham – he went for almost seven an over as England wrestled back the initiative.

Morgan’s men turned in a real team effort to drag themselves back into contention.

After a relatively watchful start by Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow, Kuldeep removed them both. Morgan (53) kept Root company as the pair posted a century stand, but middle-order big hitters Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler and went cheaply in quick succession.

Pace

It was only when Willey came to the middle that the pace of the innings improved and his unbeaten knock from only 31 balls helped England to over 300. India emerged from the blocks in style but Rohit Sharma hit out wildly and missed, leaving Mark Wood to draw first blood.

Shikhar Dhawan slashed Willey to Stokes at gully and Buttler brilliantly took an inside edge to remove KL Rahul – the first of four scalps for Liam Plunkett.

England’s spinners then set to work – and proved far more miserly than India’s. They slowed the pace and Moeen Ali took the vital wicket of skipper Virat Kohli. With Adil Rashid chipping in, the innings was strangled.

When MS Dhoni, India’s last realistic hope, holed out after a curious, slow knock the game was up.