Agencies
Joe Root further cemented his status as England’s greatest batter with a record-breaking 34th Test century in the march towards victory over Sri Lanka at Lord’s, reports BBC Sport.
Root’s second century of the second Test took him past Sir Alastair Cook for the most tons by an England batter.
His 103, made across the third morning and afternoon, was both effortless and inevitable. Made from 111 deliveries, it was also Root’s quickest in Test cricket.
When Root became the last wicket to fall, England were 251 all out and Sri Lanka left an improbable record 483 to level the series.
In dark and difficult conditions in the evening session, Gus Atkinson accounted for Nishan Madushka and Olly Stone had Pathum Nissanka, both caught by Root at first slip, taking him to 200 Test catches.
The gloom closed in. England were forced to bowl the spin of Shoaib Bashir and Root. As the umpires fiddled with their lightmeters, an interruption was so predictable that Sri Lanka promoted Prabath Jayasuriya to number four to see them to the delay.
When it came, Sri Lanka had reached 53-2, 430 adrift, with Dimuth Karunaratne on 23 and Jayasuriya on three. Play was finally called off for the day at 18:00 BST.
Earlier, England’s strong position and desire to push the game on led to a number of cameos and wickets as a result of attacking shots. Ollie Pope for 17, Ben Duckett for 24, Harry Brook for 37 and Jamie Smith for 26 all fell into that category.
Root’s super strength is his ability to score steadily without inviting danger. This was an exhibition of risk-free run-making, done in less time than most of the country waited in line for an Oasis ticket.
An edge between slip and gully when he had two was the closest Root came to an error. He regularly fetched the spin of Jayasuriya to the on-side boundary and swatted away baseball-style when the seamers tried leg theory. He attempted, and missed, a reverse scoop on 69.
As England batters came and went, the main danger to Root was running out of partners. As Stone arrived Root farmed the strike, but was made to wait for his ton by Sri Lanka’s deep-set field.
England will return on Sunday knowing they have two full days to take the
eight wickets they need for an unassailable 2-0
series lead.
