Star England batter Joe Root broke Graham Gooch’s record for most international runs at Lord’s. The England legend held the record for 31 years, having scored 2513 runs at the iconic ground. Root, however, broke the record in the third Test of the five-match series against India. On Day 1 of the match, the former England captain surpassed Gooch with a marathon knock of an unbeaten 99 runs.
Notably, Root has played 33 matches at Lord’s, scoring 2526 runs at an average of 54.91. He has 8 centuries and 10 half-centuries at this stadium in international cricket. Nevertheless, the numbers will change once he comes out to bat on Day 2 of the Test. He is very likely to add to the century tally with his 37th century in Test cricket.
Root stabilised England’s innings with cautious approach
Meanwhile, it wasn’t easy for the cricketer on Day 1 against India. He came out to bat when the hosts lost two back-to-back wickets of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. The team was reduced to 43/2 and they were under pressure. However, Ollie Pope and Root managed to take control of the situation and paced the innings well.
England, known for its aggressive approach in Test cricket, changed how it goes about business and played 28 consecutive dot balls at one point. The Indian cricketers, particularly captain Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj, reminded them about ‘Bazball’, but England didn’t change their approach. Even when Pope walked back to the pavilion, scoring 44, Root and Ben Stokes didn’t alter the plan.
They were cautious and it helped England keep the scoreboard ticking. Root remanded unbeaten for 99, while the England captain added 39 runs in 102 balls. For India, Nitish Kumar Reddy had a decent day, picking up two wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja picked up one each.