A look at England’s scorecards in Test cricket since their tour of Sri Lanka back in January suggests their batting effectively starts from No.4, the position where captain Joe Root prefers to bat. And in almost all those matches where their top order failed miserably, England have been able to cross the 300-run mark only when Root scored a big one.
The script has remained the same in the current series versus India as well. Scoring the bulk of the runs — including a second innings century in the first Test at Trent Bridge that kept England in the game — the skipper (180 not out) registered his second consecutive hundred on Day III of the ongoing Test at Lord’s to put the pressure back on India.
The visitors though responded well midway during the final session, allowing England only a slender first innings lead of 27 as the hosts were all out for 391 when stumps were drawn.
For that, the credit must go to Ishant Sharma as he made amends after an indifferent showing on the second day. That spell of India’s senior-most pacer after tea, when he dismissed Moeen Ali and Sam Curran off successive balls, was crucial in restricting England’s lead. From a strongly-placed 341/5, England lost four wickets with the addition of just 30 runs.
The game is evenly poised as it now boils down to which team can hold their nerves in the second innings.
Overhead conditions on Saturday were the brightest compared to the previous two days. So in ideal batting conditions, the task only became tougher for India’s bowlers. Root and Jonny Bairstow earlier ensured they remained patient and went about accumulating runs, stitching a significant 111-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
It was because of Root that England managed to push their lead a bit, and of course, with help from repeated no-balls from Jasprit Bumrah. Not to say that Bumrah bowled badly just because he went wicketless. But he alone bowled 13 of the 17 no-balls that added to England’s first innings total, something least expected of a team’s frontline pacer.
However, Mohammed Siraj (4/94) continued to impress as he too had a role to play in not allowing England a big lead.
As for Root, who also went past 9,000 Test runs, strokes flowed from his bat right from the onset, when he came in with England precariously placed at 23/2 after tea on Friday. But the adjustment he has done in terms of his technique — avoiding coming across the line and trying to keep his backfoot in line with the middle and leg stump — has certainly paid him dividends so far in this series.
However, he could have shown more intent late in the final session, especially when he had gone past 150 and England had taken the lead.
Another positive for England’s batting in this Test has been the contribution of Bairstow (57), who took the pressure off Root by contributing a precious half-century, especially after his place in the Test team was questioned.