Fourth Test: Root’s unbeaten ton takes England past 300-run mark on Day 1

Root’s unbeaten 106 off 226 balls, which was perhaps the most anti-Bazball innings.

England recovered from a morning session collapse to post 302 for 7 on day one of the fourth Test against India, with Joe Root scoring an unbeaten century here on Friday.
On a day when debutant pacer Akash Deep tormented the visitors by dismissing both the openers — Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett — in the morning and returned figures of 3/70 to make a dream debut, former England skipper Root stood firm scoring an unbeaten 106 off 226 balls to halt the charge of the home team bowlers.

At stumps, giving Root company was Ollie Robinson (31 not out).
Earlier, Root and Ben Foakes added 113 runs for the sixth wicket to get England out of trouble after they were left struggling at 112/5 by the 27-year-old Akash Deep.
Making his Test debut in place of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has been rested, Akash Deep recovered from a no-ball setback to dismiss Ben Duckett (11), Ollie Pope (0) and Zak Crawley (42) and leave England reeling at 57 for 3.

Jonny Bairstow smashed a 35-ball 38 with four boundaries and a six before Ravichandran Ashwin (1/17) trapped him in front.
Skipper Ben Stokes (3) was caught in front of the wicket by Ravindra Jadeja (1/28) as India dominated the morning session.
India is leading the five-Test series 2-1.

Root’s unbeaten 106 off 226 balls, which was made at a strike rate of 46.90, was, perhaps, the most anti-Bazball innings that might have been played in the Brendon McCullum era.
He entered the fourth Test against India on the back of 29, 2, 5, 16, 18, 7 in his last Test innings and that 18 in the first innings at Rajkot might have hurt him deeply.