On Day 3, Joe Root delivered a batting masterclass at Lord’s for England, scoring his second century of the Check and the thirty fourth of his illustrious profession. Root’s distinctive knock of 103 adopted his first-innings rating of 143, making him the best century-maker in England‘s Check historical past, surpassing Alastair Cook dinner‘s 33 Check tons of. Within the course of, Root additionally turned the main Check run-scorer at Lord’s and edged nearer to breaking Cook dinner’s total run-scoring document for England. His innings was the cornerstone of England’s technique, as they set Sri Lanka a frightening goal of 483 runs to win.
Joe Root’s record-breaking century leads England to dominance
Root’s composure was evident as he navigated the morning session with minimal bother. His fifty got here up from 65 balls, highlighted by a well-timed punch down the bottom off Prabath Jayasuriya. After the interval, Root shifted gears, attacking the spinner with three boundaries in fast succession. Regardless of Sri Lanka’s efforts to chip away on the English batting lineup, Root remained steadfast. He was finally the final man out, top-edging a drained heave off Lahiru Kumara to deep backward sq. leg. Root’s brisk half-century partnership with Harry Brook was the centerpiece of the morning session, laying a stable basis for England’s dominance.
3️⃣4️⃣th Check Hundred for Joe Root 🔥🔥
– Again to again tons of at Lord’s 🤩#cricket #ENGvSL #JoeRoot #englandcricket #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/cA2jenpmlS
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) August 31, 2024
Morning session and key partnerships
England’s innings resumed on 25 for 1 after Dan Lawrence‘s dismissal late on day two. Early on, they misplaced wickets however managed to stabilize because of a brisk partnership between Root and Brook. Brook’s aggressive 37 from 36 balls included a major missed probability when Nishan Madushka dropped him on 9. Brook’s innings featured a robust slog-sweep off Jayasuriya that cleared the Tavern Stand, although he was finally dismissed by the spinner. England’s batting effort noticed a number of key gamers dismissed underneath strain. Ollie Pope, England’s stand-in captain, made 17 earlier than falling to an uppercut shot off Asitha Fernando. Ben Duckett was the primary to go within the innings, dismissed in a considerably fortuitous method as Angelo Mathews caught a rebound off a drop.
Additionally READ: ENG vs SL: Followers roar as Joe Root breaks Alastair Cook dinner’s document with thirty fourth century on Day 3 of Lord’s Check
Affect of Root’s knock
Root’s efficiency was complemented by a brisk half-century partnership with Brook. Regardless of the wickets falling round him, Root’s calm and managed method allowed England to construct their whole successfully. His innings was marked by quite a lot of strokes, together with a flurry of boundaries that accelerated the scoring fee. Root’s skill to adapt and push the tempo made a major influence, as he introduced up his century off simply 111 balls, marking it as his quickest Check century.
As England neared their declaration, Root was joined by Olly Stone. The pair added useful runs earlier than Stone was caught at high-quality leg. Root’s last dismissal got here when he top-edged a heave off Kumara, resulting in his departure with the tea interval approaching. England’s innings, whereas marked by Root’s brilliance, additionally included contributions from different batters, although they had been usually dismissed underneath strain.
Sri Lanka struggles in pursuit of an enormous goal
Confronted with the monumental process of chasing 483 runs, Sri Lanka’s second innings bought off to a rocky begin. Nishan Madushka was the primary to fall, caught by Root off Gus Atkinson after scoring 13 runs from 25 deliveries. Dimuth Karunaratne, the captain, confirmed resilience with an unbeaten 23 off 48 balls, however Sri Lanka struggled to construct partnerships. Pathum Nissanka additionally fell to Root, caught off Stone’s bowling after scoring 14 runs from 24 balls.
At stumps, as a result of dangerous gentle, Sri Lanka ended the day at 53/2 after 20 overs, with Jayasuriya unbeaten on 3 runs from 23 balls alongside Karunaratne. With 430 runs nonetheless wanted to win, Sri Lanka has a steep climb forward. Within the bowling division, Atkinson and Stone had been the standout performers, every claiming a wicket. Atkinson conceded 15 runs in his 4 overs, whereas Stone gave away simply 1 run in his solitary over.
One other momentous day 👏
Match Centre: https://t.co/Zj8083TszX#ENGvSL | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/eqHT4w4oDS
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 31, 2024
Additionally WATCH: England captain Ollie Pope hits a bulls eye to dismiss Lahiru Kumara on Day 2 of the 2nd Check
