 "England's Joe Root acknowledges the ovation from the crowd at Old Trafford after getting dismissed on 150 on Day 3 of the fourth Test against India. AP")
The moment itself was fittingly unassuming, Joe Root steering Anshul Kamboj behind point for a single, a run that took him to 13,379 in his career – and more crucially past Ricky Ponting to second on the all-time list behind Sachin Tendulkar .
Before that Root had ambled along with all the ease of a barge pootling down one of Manchester’s canals, almost silently slipping past Rahul Dravid and then Jaques Kallis on the Test run-scorers list and then just as casually notching his hundred as the afternoon sun shone down on Old Trafford.
It was a 38th Test hundred for Root, taking him level with Kumar Sangakkara; only Ponting, Kallis and Tendulkar have more. Not only that but a 12th against India; only Don Bradman – 19 v England – and Sunil Gavaskar – 13 v West Indies – have more against a single opponent.
One major peak left for Root to summit
In short we are fast approaching the moment where there is just one real record left for Root to conquer – catching Sachin for the most runs in Test history . The number one slot is by no means out of reach, if Root can continue at his current rate – an elite Test average of 51.37 – he would require just under 25 Tests to reach the milestone.
That though is just potential future heartbreak for Indian cricket fans. On Day 3 at Old Trafford, Root was fully occupied dishing it out in the present day.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsEngland arrived with the score at 225/2, still trailing by 133 and needing a nerveless start from Ollie Pope and Root in order not to undo the great work done by their opening pair the night before .
Around the stabilising calmness of Root’s effortless accumulation, he and Pope began crafting the first course of India’s all-day buffet of cricketing torture, all slow-roasted in the freshly arrived Manchester sun.
By lunch they had added over a hundred together, in total their stand would finish at 144, India looking increasingly short of ideas and morale as they were made to toil in the field. Even the loss of Harry Brook, out cheaply stumped for 3, shortly after the dismissal of Pope, did little to ease the tourists’ pain.
Instead in walked Ben Stokes, scratchy at first but, aided by the serene presence of Root at the other end, still able to turn the screw on the opposition.
Poor decisions, fitness issues exacerbate India’s woes
India were not blameless themselves, the decision to delay the entrance of Washington Sundar into the attack seemed curious at first and then negligent later when he appeared the only bowler to really challenge the opposition.
Other setbacks were beyond their control, niggling injuries to both Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj only served to exacerbate the slow torment coming from the bats of Root and Stokes.
In the end it was cramp, not Indian bowling that would break up the pair, Stokes retiring hurt on 66 and the partnership on 142, although he would return before the close – seeing England to 544/7 , a lead of 186 – but in the meantime Root continued to accumulate runs with menacing tranquility.
For the remarkable 17th time in Tests Root would move to 150 and in the end only a ripper from Ravi Jadeja and a smart piece of work behind the stumps from substitute keeper Jurel would see him out stumped, but by then the damage had long been inflicted.
By the close India were a ruinously mammoth 186 behind, thanks to Root their hopes in this series hang by a thread, they will require something phenomenal if they are not to travel to The Oval next week with the series already lost at 3-1.