September 1, 2024

Joe Root Hits Record 34th Test Century as England Near Victory

Trailing by 483 runs, Sri Lanka is 196 and 53 for 2 (Karunaratne 23*, Stone 1-1, Atkinson 1-15) and needs another 430 runs to win. England had scored 427 and 251, with Joe Root contributing 103 runs.

At Lord’s, Joe Root stole the spotlight for the second time in three days, scoring twin centuries for the first time in his career. His 34th Test century set new records with a fast 103 off 111 balls. Root now holds the most centuries at Lord’s, surpassing Graham Gooch, and is less than 100 runs away from breaking Alastair Cook’s overall England run-scoring record. His innings, marked by a memorable “Roooooooot!” cheer, helped England position themselves for a likely series-sealing victory. The next highest score from an England teammate was Harry Brook’s 37 off 36 balls.

Root Takes Two Catches as Sri Lanka Chases 483, Ends Day Two Down by Two Wickets

Sri Lanka set a daunting target of 483, ending day 196 for 2 and 53 for 2, with Dimuth Karunaratne unbeaten on 23*. England’s Joe Root played a key role, taking two catches at first slip to dismiss Nishan Madushka and Pathum Nissanka. With these catches, Root has reached 200 Test catches, closing in on the record held by Rahul Dravid, who has 210.

Sri Lanka’s progress was partly due to the early finish caused by insufficient light. The team, struggling with batting confidence, faced a challenging task. Karunaratne survived a poor lbw decision and batted through 90 minutes of gloom after tea. He left the field with Prabath Jayasuriya as England opted to bowl spin for the second time, while Ollie Pope chose to save the ball’s condition for the next day.

Madushka fell to a catch off Gus Atkinson, continuing his challenging tour. Dinesh has been replaced as wicketkeeper by Dinesh Chandimal, who dropped two catches on the field. Nissanka survived an under-edge off Shoaib Bashir but was eventually dismissed by a sharp delivery from Olly Stone.

England Satisfied with Position as Sri Lanka Struggles

England left the field just after 5pm, confident they had enough time to take the eight wickets needed to secure a 2-0 series lead. Kamindu Mendis had hoped Sri Lanka could return to the game if they dismissed England for 150-175. Despite taking five wickets, they couldn’t stop Joe Root from guiding England to a solid 251 and a strong position.

Root’s steady performance helped England navigate the morning session without significant issues. After the break, he reached fifty off 65 balls, hitting three fours in four balls, including two powerful shots and a reverse sweep. Sri Lanka fought hard, Jayasuriya dismissed Jamie Smith lbw despite a review, and Chris Woakes got Milan Rathnayake out.

Gus Atkinson’s dismissal starkly contrasted his elegant hundred in the first innings, as he was caught behind attempting a reverse pull-off Asitha Fernando. Fernando also dismissed Potts, but Olly Stone’s perseverance allowed Root to reach his milestone.

England’s Mixed Batting Performance and Root’s Key Contributions

Gus Stone was dismissed at fine leg, and despite seeming ready to declare, England continued batting. Joe Root eventually fell to Lahiru Kumara, top-edging a tired shot to deep backward square leg, leading to an early tea break as England’s innings ended.

England’s batting was inconsistent, though Root’s performance was outstanding. During the morning session, they lost three wickets, including stand-in captain Ollie Pope. Pope, filling in for Ben Stokes, scored his highest of the series but was dismissed for 17 by an Asitha bouncer despite Sri Lanka setting defensive fields.

Starting at 25 for 1 after Dan Lawrence’s dismissal the previous evening, England saw Ben Duckett out after a mix-up between slip and gully. Rathnayake’s delivery tempted Duckett, who edged the ball to Dinesh Chandimal for a catch.

Ollie Pope managed to get into double figures and survived an lbw review but fell soon after to Asitha Fernando. Root, aiming for his third consecutive fifty-plus score, played steadily. He hit four boundaries, including a thick edge between slip and gully, and accumulated runs without taking excessive risks.

Harry Brook’s aggressive batting suggested England might be considering a declaration. He was dropped on 9 by Madushka but later hit a six off Jayasuriya. Brook was eventually out when Madushka caught him trying another big shot.