Joe Root played a very uncharacteristic knock to what England cricket team has been used to playing in recent times. He shunned the Bazball approach with wickets falling at the other end, and took England to safety with a solid hundred on the first day of the 4th India vs England Test. On Day 2, Root remained unbeaten on 122 as India bowled out England for 353 in their first innings. Former England skipper Root scored 10 boundaries during his unconquered 274-ball innings.
Resuming at the overnight score of 302 for seven, Root and Ollie Robinson completed their century stand for the eighth wicket to take England forward.
Former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar praised Joe Root for his effort but did not shy away from trolling England’s Bazball approach.
“Yes, superb innings. It was a proper Test match innings. Old-fashioned Test match innings, you would say,” Gavaskar said while doing commentary on Day 1 of the Ranchi Test.
“But I have got to say, I am a little disappointed. I am a disappointed man because I really wanted him to play a scoop shot to get to his hundred, that reverse scoop. Get to 99, play the reverse scoop, and then play the hundred, and then the crowd goes ‘Rooooot’. Particularly the box on our right (England comm box),” Gavaskar added.
England had made a solid start on Day 2, making Indians toil hard without success before Robinson’s choice of shot — a reverse sweep — off Ravindra Jadeja brought India back in the opening session.
It ended a dogged 102-run stand between Robinson and Root.
In their reply, India lost skipper Rohit Sharma (2) cheaply to be 34 for one at lunch, trailing England by 319 runs. Veteran James Anderson saw the back of Rohit with a delivery that moved away slightly off the surface after pitching on a perfect length, taking edge from Indian captain’s bat that was taken by Ben Foakes.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (27 batting) was his usual confident self and giving him company was Shubman Gill (4) at the break.
England added 51 valuable runs to their overnight total of 302/7 as the Indian attack failed to make early penetration. The last five England batters added 241 runs after being 112/5 at lunch on the opening day.
While Mohammed Siraj (2/78) erred in his line and length, debutant Akash Deep could not add to his tally of three wickets to return with 3/38 from 19 overs.
For India, Ravindra Jadeja took all the three wickets to return with 4/67 from his 32.5 overs.
With PTI inputs
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