Lord's Test: Joe Root's 180 not out puts England ahead of India

INDIA'S fears came to be true at the iconic Lord’s on Day 3 of the second Test of the five-match series as Joe Root slammed 180 not out to help his team get a crucial 27-run lead over the tourists.

England, who resumed the day at 119 for 3, kept the Indian bowlers at bay to score 272 runs in the day for the loss of their remaining seven wickets to end up at 391 with Root hitting his second successive Test hundred in the series and the fifth of the year. He faced 321 balls and hit 18 boundaries and ran out of partners at the other end when James Anderson (0) was castled by seamer Mohammed Shami in the final ball of the day.

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This was Root’s 22nd Test hundred which saw him equalling the likes of Walter Hammond, Colin Cowdrey, Geoffrey Boycott and Ian Bell. Only Kevin Pietersen (23) and Alastair Cook (33) have scored more Test centuries for England.

Jonny Bairstow was the second-highest scorer for India with 57 off 107 balls and added 121 runs for the fourth wicket with his skipper. For India, Mohammed Shiraj took 4 wickets for 94 runs while Ishant Sharma took 3 for 69. Shami ended up with 2 for 95. Jasprit Bumrah, who took nine wickets in the first match, did not get any this time.

India scored 364 in the first innings, thanks to KL Rahul’s 129 and Rohit Sharma’s 83. They were comfortably placed at 276 for 3 at the end of Day 1 but lost their remaining wickets for only 88 runs with Anderson claiming five scalps.

Brief scores: India 364 (KL Rahul 129, Rohit Sharma 83, James Anderson 5 for 62), England 391 (Joe Root 180 not out, Jonny Bairstow 57, Mohammed Shiraj 4 for 94) at stumps on Day 3.