BROOT FORCE
Ton-derful Joe is hero again
JOE ROOT lorded it over India’s bowlers as he rewrote history with another monumental innings.
England were eventually bowled out for 391, with Root still standing firm on 180 not out.
The England captain hit back-toback hundreds for the second time in 2021 to continue his incredible run so far this year. Root had previously been criticised for his inability to turn 50 into three-figure scores.
Now he’s doing it with ease – racking up five of them since January.
With six Tests still to come in 2021 – three against India and three in Australia – he could smash the record for the most number of runs ever scored in a calendar year.
That is currently held by Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf, who scored 1,788 runs in 2006. With 1,244 already in the bank, Root could sail past that total before the year is out.
During this perfectly judged innings, he also brought up the milestone of 9,000 Test runs, becoming the second youngest player to do so behind Alastair Cook.
Having helped earn England a 27-run lead, though, the captain will be more concerned with giving his side a chance to win their first home Test of the summer and ending a dismal recent run.
Packed
Root’s century partnership with Jonny Bairstow helped turn the game in England’s favour in front of a packed crowd. Bairstow was eventually caught at slip for 57 after gloving a Mohammed Siraj bouncer to Virat Kohli at slip.
But after scoring his first Test halfcentury since August 2019, the 31-yearold is well on his way to re-establishing himself in the longest format.
Yesterday though, was all about Root – and when asked what the skipper means to this England team, he didn’t hold back. “A heck of a lot, like he does to English cricket,” said Bairstow.
“To go into second place in the history of leading runscorers in the English game is very special. To pass 9,000 runs in this game is extremely special. To score another 180 not out at Lord’s, I run out of superlatives.”
The platform laid by the Yorkshire pair enabled England to build a score that has been beyond them for most of the year. In their past seven Tests, they’ve only twice posted totals of over 300.
But with Root in supreme touch, the Indian bowlers hardly threatened for the first two sessions as England edged towards India’s first-innings score of 364.
Root’s partnership of 44 with Jos Buttler and stand of 58 with Moeen Ali has helped to leave the game on a knifeedge with two days remaining. Moeen looked well set but was caught at slip off Ishant Sharma for 28 before Sam Curran became the second England player in the game to fall for a golden duck as Sharma struck again.
Root eventually nudged England in front with a boundary as the crowd belted out his name.
The late run-out of Mark Wood brought Jimmy Anderson to the wicket.
He was peppered with bouncers by Jasprit Bumrah and hit on the helmet before being bowled by Mohammed Shami with the final ball of the day.
But by that time, however, Root had already delivered the knockout blow.