Root Passes Ponting As England Dominate India

Fourth Rothesay Test, Emirates Old Trafford (day 3 of five)

India 358: Sudharsan 61, Jaiswal 58, Pant 54; Stokes 5-72, Archer 3-73

England 544-7: Root 150, Duckett 94, Crawley 84; Sundar 2-57

England lead by 186 runs

Scorecard

Joe Root's masterful 150 took him up to 2nd connected nan all-time Test run-scorers' database and gave England complete power complete India astatine nan extremity of time 3 of nan 4th Test astatine Old Trafford.

By reaching 31, Root overtook India awesome Rahul Dravid and legendary South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis, and successful continuing beyond 120, he went past erstwhile Australia skipper Ricky Ponting.

His period was his 38th successful Tests and it crushed down a mediocre and beleaguered India arsenic England reached 544-7 astatine nan close, starring by 186.

After escaping a run-out chance connected 22, Root's latest triumph was chanceless.

He put connected 144 pinch Ollie Pope and aft Pope fell for 71 and Harry Brook for 3 - some to Washington Sundar successful speedy succession - Root shared a guidelines of 142 pinch Ben Stokes.

Their business was surgery erstwhile Stokes retired wounded connected 66 pinch cramp successful nan evening convention and Root was struggling pinch a akin rumor erstwhile he was yet stumped disconnected Ravindra Jadeja soon after.

Having some spent clip disconnected nan section pinch injury, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj dismissed Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes respectively aft which Stokes returned.

He ended nan time 77 not retired alongside Liam Dawson who is unbeaten connected 21.

The hosts now person 2 days to complete nan triumph that would springiness them an unassailable 3-1 bid lead.

That this bid has been truthful epic has been because whenever either broadside has been connected top, nan different has recovered a measurement to onslaught back. This was nan time that yet ended.

Another Root epic ensured England had a near-perfect day, giving them dream of batting erstwhile and completing an innings victory.

When Root resumed connected 11, England were still 133 down successful a beardown but by nary intends unafraid position. When Brook fell they were still 9 successful arrears.

Root benefited from India skipper Shubman Gill's funny hold successful introducing Sundar and nan wounded to Bumrah. India's premier speedy twisted his ankle stepping down nan stairs from nan dressing room and was only capable to vessel 1 complete pinch nan 2nd caller ball.

None of that should return distant from Root's brilliance, however.

The Lancashire crowd stridently shouted each of nan Yorkshireman's 3 milestones, pinch Ponting commentating for tv erstwhile his haul was passed.

Though immoderate rainfall is forecast complete nan weekend, nan move for Jadeja for nan transportation that dismissed Root, positive important debased bounce from 1 end, should springiness England plentifulness of assistance erstwhile their attentions move to dismissing India.

Root is now 2,512 runs distant from replacing India fable Sachin Tendulkar arsenic Test cricket's highest run-scorer. At his existent complaint of scoring, he will get location successful 25 Tests.

This innings was nan 34-year-old's profession rolled into one.

He accumulated pinch nudges, drove done nan covers and played exquisite reverse sweeps against India's spin.

Having batted done nan greeting convention pinch Root, Pope nicked Sundar to gaffe successful nan off-spinner's 2nd complete aft lunch. Sundar recovered important drift distant from nan right-handers – it besides did for Brook who was beaten connected nan extracurricular separator and stumped – but Root remained unflustered passim that important spell.

It took him 3 overs to move from 98 to 100 but erstwhile he reached 3 figures he did truthful pinch a flick to good leg. He passed Ponting pinch a trademark dab done point.

Stokes, batting arsenic good arsenic he has for a important period, took clip to get going against Washington and was conscionable breaking free – he deed 1 bonzer move deed for 4 disconnected Jadeja - erstwhile he started to go hampered by cramp.

After he retired hurt, Smith nicked Bumrah down and Chris Woakes was bowled by 1 that kept horribly debased from Siraj.

Returning to further cheers aft an hr successful dressing room, Stokes will beryllium eyeing a first Test 100 since nan Lord's Ashes Test of July 2023.

This was India's astir difficult time connected tour.

When a uncommon Root correction successful nan greeting resulted successful a mix-up pinch Pope, Jadeja's propulsion to nan non-striker's extremity from backward constituent missed and he held his arms retired questioning why nary fielder had made it to nan stumps.

Pope was besides dropped connected 48. That was a reliable chance disconnected an under-edge for Rishabh Pant's replacement arsenic wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, who was opinionated up to debutant Anshul Kamboj, but it summed up nan day.

Kamboj has looked a mediocre prime – his mean gait is proving ineffective and his fielding laboured – while skipper Gill made his astir evident tactical correction successful his 4 Tests arsenic skipper to date.

The nonaccomplishment to present Sundar earlier 69th over, contempt him dismissing Root astatine Lord's successful nan 3rd Test, was inexplicable.

This is nan longest England person batted nether Stokes successful nan UK and it showed.

Having hobbled backmost into nan section earlier tea, Bumrah returned to nan onslaught afterwards but his gait was good down. Siraj besides kept going, contempt pulling up pinch an ankle rumor earlier, but was besides understandably tired.

It would return thing miraculous for India to debar conclusion successful Manchester and pinch 3 days disconnected aft this, location is small clip for betterment earlier nan 5th Test either.

Ex-England skipper Sir Alastair Cook: "The group who will use nan astir from this measurement of batting is nan bowlers because they person had their feet up each time and tomorrow erstwhile nan bowlers travel retired to nan middle, they tin deed nan platform difficult and get nan astir retired of it."

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan: "All nan headlines, rightfully, will beryllium astir Joe Root, but coming was different instruction successful showing really Bazball is maturing - particularly astatine nan commencement of play erstwhile England knew they had to triumph that first hour.

"England milked it each time and coming was nan time wherever it came to fruition really England are a different side, and to triumph nan biggest series' you can't play 1 way."