England vs India: Joe Root hits 150 to move second among leading Test run-scorers as hosts build big lead | Cricket News

Joe Root hit a stunning 150 that not only placed him second among the all-time leading Test run-scorers but also fired England into an utterly dominant position in the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford, the hosts closing day three on 544-7, 186 runs ahead of India.

Starting the day 11 not out, and fifth on the top run-getters list, Root pushed past Rahul Dravid when progressing his score to 30 and then Jacques Kallis soon after on 31, leaving him with Ricky Ponting next in his sights – and a score of 120 required.

The former England captain cruised through to a 38th Test ton – tying Kumar Sangakkara in fourth on that particular list – before surpassing Ponting as England amassed a huge lead, Ollie Pope (71) and Ben Stokes (77no) too hitting half-centuries.

Stokes’ innings was paused for about an hour as he retired hurt on 66 due to cramp, but he’d return with the fall of England’s seventh wicket as Root, the dangerous Jamie Smith (9) and Chris Woakes (4) departed in quick succession in the evening session.

Stokes hobbled a touch when returning to the middle, which will be of concern to the England camp, but gradually grew into his innings and the skipper will now be eyeing a first Test ton in two years on day four as well as further bolstering his side’s advantage.

England resumed the third morning on 225-2, still 133 in arrears, with Pope and Root calmly and confidently setting about their work in ticking those off.

There was the odd scare, with India lively in the field to start before fading into the afternoon, none more so than when Root should have been run out when a wild shy at the stumps from Ravindra Jadeja – with no-one backing up – allowed him and Pope instead through to their fifty partnership.

Root ticked off Dravid and Kallis in quick succession on his way to a half-century, soon after Pope brought up his own, the England No 3 having been dopped on 49 by Dhruv Jurel when stood up to Anshul Kamboj in the previous over.

Washington Sundar (2-57) made a mockery of not being introduced until the 69th over with a double strike soon after lunch, the off-spinner picking up Pope, caught behind to end the 144-run stand for the third wicket, and Harry Brook (3) stumped to two beautifully flighted deliveries.

Root and Stokes cash in against weary India

England were still nine runs shy of India’s first-innings total at that stage, and with the second new ball due, but any hopes the visitors may have had of making further inroads were quickly quashed as Root and Stokes cashed in against their banged-up attack.

Jasprit Bumrah left the field after only one over, costing 11, with that second new ball, an ankle problem restricting him from bowling again until after tea, while Mohammed Siraj limped off soon after, leaving Kamboj and Shardul Thakur operating with a ball less than 10 overs old.

Root, after a few nervy moments on 98 – three play and misses in a row in one Siraj over where he also nearly knocked one onto his stumps off his thigh pad – would bring up his 38th Test hundred, with the Old Trafford crowd in raptures once more when he passed Ponting soon after.

Root greeted the moment with little more than a half-hearted thumbs up, eager to kick on further and build England an insurmountable lead that he and Stokes nudged past 100 after tea.

Stokes, as has been the case this summer, struggled for his usual timing and rhythm with the bat, even faceplanting the pitch at one point when smacking one reverse-sweep for four off Jadeja.

Just as he began to look somewhere back to his best, notching a first fifty of the summer, he was troubled by what was later confirmed by England to be cramp and, as a precautionary measure, he left the field on 66.

It afforded India an opening of sorts, and they capitalised on it, Jadeja (2-117) doing for Root, stumped off just the sort of jaffa that was required to end his sublime innings, while late-evening bursts from Bumrah (1-95) and Siraj (1-113) accounted for Smith and Woakes, respectively.

Liam Dawson (21no) played nicely to further bolster his claims to be England’s front-line spinner for the Ashes, his lower-order runs certainly handing him an edge over Shoaib Bashir, while there is batting still to come in the form of Nos 10 and 11 Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer on day four.

Pope: ‘Role model’ Root has hunger and drive

England’s Ollie Pope on what makes Joe Root so special:

“I think it’s his hunger and his drive.

“You look at all the batters in the changing room and everyone has picked up something from Joe, not necessarily technically but more the way he goes about his cricket and his training.

“He is an annoyingly good bloke as well – the way he is with the fans, he is a role model for the next generation coming through.

“There is a lot we can learn and like from him.”

Broad: No signs of Root stopping

Former England team-mate Stuart Broad:

“He [Root] played beautifully today to go past Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting [and become the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket], bringing up another hundred that he will hope wins the game.

“I was out for dinner with him last night and he was incredibly relaxed, enjoying his cricket, and there are certainly no signs of him stopping.

“He has a huge hunger for scoring runs.”

Ponting: England are red-hot favourites

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting:

“I thought England were red-hot favourites this morning if the first session went well and the whole day has gone just about perfectly.

“But, what I would say, is that India are used to playing on wearing pitches with variable bounce and bit of turn.

“I wouldn’t rule out them being hard to dismiss in the second innings.”

Watch day four of the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.15am, Saturday (11am first ball), or stream without a contract.

England vs India – results and schedule

All games at 11am UK and Ireland; all on Sky Sports