Chennai: Skipper Joe Root smashed an
unbeaten double century in his 100th test to put
England in a dominant position at Tea on the second
day of the first cricket test against India here today.
At the break England were 454 for four in 147 overs
with Root unbeaten on 209 (353 balls, 19×4, 2×6) and
Ollie Pope was batting on (24, 74 balls, 2×4).
Root became the first player to score a double hundred
in his 100th test.
These two have so far added 67 runs in 20.5 overs for
the unbroken fifth.
With hard hitting wicket keeper-batsman Jos Butler
next to come, England were well on course for a big
total.
It was yet another tiring session for the Indian
bowlers though they managed to get rid off left
hander Ben Stokes, who missed out a well deserved
hundred after dominating the 124 fourth wicket
stand with his skipper.
Stokes, who launched a calculated assault against
the spinners, made 82 in 118 balls with ten fours
and three sixers, before his slop sweep off left arm
spinner Shahbaz Nadeem was held by a juggling
Cheteswara Pujara at long leg fence.
However, a disciplined Root continued to torment
the Indian bowlers with an innings that was high
on character, sound in technique and solid in
defence.
Root, who held one end up, used the feet well against
the spinners and rocked back to find the cover and
point fence when they pitched short, and played the
fast bowlers with a straight bat and soft hands.
Root brought up his fifth double hundred and first
against India in style with a six off off-spinner
R Ashwin over long on.
It is his third double hundred in the last four
innings. He scored 226 against New Zealand at
Hamilton and 228 against Sri Lanka at Galle, which
was also interspersed with 186 in the same venue.
Earlier, Root, who batted deep and long, became
the seventh player to score 150-plus runs in three
successive tests and second player as captain after
Don Bradman.
Following is the scoreboard :
England (first innings):
Rory Burns c Rishab Pant b R Ashwin 33
Dom Sibley lbw Jasprit Bumrah 87
Dan Lawrence lbw Jasprit Bumrah 0
Joe Root (batting) 209
Ben Stokes c Pujara b Shahbaz Nadeem 82
Ollie Pope (batting) 24
Extras : (LB-5, nb-14) 19
Total : 454 for four in 147 overs.
Fall of wickets : 1-63, 2-63, 3-263, 4-387.
Bowling :
Ishant Sharma 23-5-42-0
Jasprit Bumrah 27-4-66-1
R Ashwin 41-3-114-1
Shahbaz Nadeem 35-3-140-1
Washington Sundar 19-1-80-0
Rohit Sharma 2-0-7-0.