on day 3, Joe Root Delivered a batting masterclass for England at Lord’s, notching his second Test century and 34th year of an illustrious career. Root’s exceptional knock of 103 followed his first innings score of 143, making him the highest century maker in the world. England‘s Test exceeded the date Alastair Cook‘s 33 Test hundreds. In the process, Root also became the leading Test run-scorer at Lord’s and came close to breaking Cook’s record for total runs for England. His innings was the cornerstone of England’s strategy as they set a daunting target of 483 runs to beat Sri Lanka.
Joe Root’s record-breaking century leads England to dominance
Root’s composure was evident as he breezed through the morning session with minimal difficulty. His fifty came off 65 balls, highlighted by a well-timed strike Prabath Jayasuriya. After the break, Root switched gears, attacking the spinner with three boundaries in quick succession. Despite Sri Lanka’s efforts to break into the English batting line-up, Root held firm. He finally broke through a tired air and was the last man standing Lahiru Kumara to deep back square leg. A quick half-century partnership with Root Harry Brooke It was the centerpiece of the morning session, laying a solid foundation for England’s dominance.
Test Hundred for Joe Root
– Back to back hundreds at Lord’s
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Morning session and key partnerships
England’s innings continued at 1 for 25 Dan Lawrence‘s late on the second day of work. Early on, they lost their wickets but were able to stabilize thanks to the quick partnership between Root and Brook. Brook’s aggressive 37 off 36 balls missed a crucial chance Nishan Madushka He dropped it at 9. Brook’s innings featured a powerful slog-sweep from Jayasuriya that cleared the Taverna stand, although he was eventually dismissed by the spinner. England’s batting efforts saw several key players dismissed under pressure. Ollie PopeThe England captain made 17 before collapsing to an uppercut Don’t miss Fernando. Ben Duckett was removed from office in a somewhat random manner Angelo Mathews a drop bounced back.
Also READ: ENG vs SL: Fans scream as Joe Root breaks Alastair Cook’s record 34th century on Day 3 of Lord’s Test
Effect of root knocking
Root’s performance was completed by a quick half-century partnership with Brook. Despite the caps falling around him, Root’s calm and controlled approach allowed England to build their total effectively. His innings was marked by a variety of hits, including boundaries that accelerated his scoring rate. Root’s ability to match and push the pace had a significant impact as he smashed his century off just 111 balls to mark it as the fastest Test century.
When England came close to declaring, Root joined in Olly Stone. The pair added valuable runs before Stone was caught at fine leg. Root’s last dismissal came when he got above Kumara and departed as the tea break approached. England’s innings was marked by the brilliance of Root, who was often dismissed under pressure, but also included contributions from other batsmen.
Sri Lanka are struggling to reach a big target
Faced with the monumental task of chasing down 483 runs, Sri Lanka’s second innings got off to a rocky start. Nishan Madushka was the first to fall, caught by Root off Gus Atkinson After 13 runs from 25 deliveries. Dimuth Karunaratnethe captain showed resilience with an unbeaten 23 off 48 balls but Sri Lanka struggled to build a partnership. Pathum Nissanka also fell to Root, caught off Stone’s bowling after 14 runs off 24 balls.
At stumps, due to poor light, Sri Lanka ended the day at 53/2 after 20 overs with Jayasuriya on 3 runs from 23 balls along with Karunaratne. Still needing 430 runs to win, Sri Lanka have a steep climb ahead. In the bowling department, Atkinson and Stone were the standout performers with a wicket claim each. Atkinson conceded 15 runs in 4 overs while Stone conceded 1 run alone.
Another remarkable day
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