Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 6 (ANI): Skipper Joe Root’s double ton and Ben Stokes’ 82 guided England to post a mammoth score on day two of the first Test against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
At stumps on day two, England’s score read 555/8 in 180 overs with Dom Bess and Jack Leach still at the crease on 28 and 6 runs respectively.
In the final session, India bagged four wickets including the much-awaited dismissal of Root (218). Visitors resumed the third session from 454/4 with Root and Ollie Pope continued their partnership for the fifth wicket. The duo stitched an 86-run partnership before spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Pope (34) in the 153rd over.
Jos Buttler joined skipper Root in the middle but spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, in the 154th over, removed the latter and brought the hosts back in the game.
Root departed after playing a record-breaking knock of 218 runs in his 100th Test. He became the first batsman in the history of Test cricket to score a double century in his 100th Test.
Root also registered the highest score for a player playing in his 100th Test, breaking the record of former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq to achieve this feat.
He also surpassed Mike Gatting (207) to post the highest individual score for an English batsman in India. Root has now scored five double centuries in Test cricket; only Wally Hammond has posted more for England (7).
Buttler and Dominic Bess kept the scoreboard moving and added 48-run for the seventh wicket before Ishant Sharma picked the former in the 170th over. Buttler was departed after scoring 30 runs. In the same over, Ishant sent Jofra Archer back to the pavilion on a duck on the next ball.
Spinner Jack Leach and Bess continue the scoreboard ticking and managed to add an unbeaten 30-run for the ninth wicket. Before the conclusion of play on day two, Rohit Sharma dropped Bess (19) in the 175th over off Washinton Sundar.
Indian bowlers struggled to find a rhythm as they bowled 19 no-balls in the game. Bumrah and Nadeem bowled six no-balls each while Ishant bowled five and Ashwin delivered two no-balls.
The second session saw 99 runs being scored in 28 overs with a loss of Stokes’ wicket. Stokes and Root added 32 more runs before Nadeem managed to send Stokes (82) back to the pavilion in the 127th over of the innings. The left-handed batter went for a slog sweep but he only ended up handing a simple catch to Cheteshwar Pujara, who was positioned at the backward square-leg.
Pope then joined skipper Root in the middle and the duo did not let the momentum drop for England. Both batters ensured that England did not lose any wickets before the tea interval. Pope and Root have extended their fifth-wicket partnership to 67 runs.
Earlier, Root and Stokes had seen off the first session on day two with ease as England managed to maintain their dominance. At the lunch break on day two, England’s score read 355/3 with Root and Stokes unbeaten on 156 and 63 respectively.
On the first day of the Test, Root had registered his century and he was also involved in a 200-run stand with opening batsman Dom Sibley.
Brief Scores: England 555/8 (Joe Root 218, Ben Stokes 82; Ishant Sharma 2-52, Jasprit Bumrah 2-81). (ANI)
