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Root's 143 Runs Push Back Sri Lanka as Atkinson's Unbeaten 74 Strengthens Lead
Root's 143 Runs Push Back Sri Lanka as Atkinson's Unbeaten 74 Strengthens Lead
Joe Root dedicates record-equalling 33rd Test century to Graham Thorpe
Joe Root scored his sixth Test century at this historic venue, it seemed more like the latter. Gus Atkinson further troubled Sri Lanka with his first Test fifty. Despite the bowlers working hard until late to justify their captain Dhananjaya de Silva's decision, England managed to secure a stronger position.
After Root, there was a noticeable gap in England's batting lineup. Dhananjaya might regret that Lahiru Kumara couldn't convince the umpire, Paul Reiffel, to give Root out lbw when he was 11, as the DRS showed it was an umpire's call. The next highest score was Atkinson's unbeaten 74 from the No. 8 position. His 92-run partnership with Root was the main reason England kept what seemed like a solid batting foundation.
Joe Root's outstanding score of 143 has put him on par with Alastair Cook for the most centuries in Test cricket for England. During his innings, he also surpassed Cook for the most Test runs scored in England and Wales. It seems only a matter of time before he surpasses Cook's overall record for his country. Soon, Root will hold the record for the most entries on the batting honours board at Lord's, joining legends like Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan.
After recently leading England to victory at Old Trafford, Root became the backbone of the batting lineup. Similar to the first Test, Sri Lanka bowled effectively, putting England's first innings in danger but not quite finishing them off. England found themselves at 130 for 4 and later 216 for 6. However, Root formed the two largest partnerships of the innings with Atkinson and Jamie Smith. Later, Atkinson and Matthew Potts added an unbeaten 50-run stand as the day drew to a close.
The pitch at Lord's wasn't as flat as it used to be in the mid-2000s, but it stayed calm throughout the day. Dhananjaya chose to bowl first, thinking there would be some swing in the first hour. While there was some sideways movement, most of England's top-order batsmen couldn't blame that for their dismissals.
Ollie Pope's dismissal was particularly awkward. As the stand-in captain, he had talked about separating his leadership duties from his batting at No. 3. Maybe he was caught off guard by Dhananjaya's decision to bowl first, expecting to field instead. His clumsy shot against Asitha Fernando showed he still has work to do.
England's top three batsmen were out before lunch, and Asitha took another wicket after the break. Harry Brook played some aggressive shots to put England back in control, but a close lbw decision went in Sri Lanka's favour. Brook tried a big drive against Asitha but was beaten by a slight seam movement, and the umpire agreed it would have hit the leg stump.
A partnership of 62 runs between Root and Smith allowed the Lord's crowd to relax after lunch. Smith played cautiously, hitting three boundaries off spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, but was caught behind just before tea while attempting a bigger shot against Milan Rathnayake.
Root started with a four on his first ball and continued in his usual calm manner. Apart from the lbw appeal by Kumara, his only real scare was when he nearly chopped Rathnayake onto his stumps at 59 and edged the same bowler between slip and gully in the next over. The crowd was tense as he stayed on 99 for 12 balls before finally steering Kumara to third man, celebrating as the ball passed the fielders.
Root started with a four on his first ball and continued in his usual calm manner. Apart from the lbw appeal by Kumara, his only real scare was when he nearly chopped Rathnayake onto his stumps at 59 and edged the same bowler between slip and gully in the next over. The crowd was tense as he stayed on 99 for 12 balls before finally steering Kumara to third man, celebrating as the ball passed the fielders.
Root eventually got out trying to reverse-ramp Rathnayake. Despite Atkinson and Potts taking advantage of the second new ball, England's performance could have been better. The new opening pair managed their third consecutive stand in the 30s, but Dan Lawrence edged behind trying to walk down the pitch at Kumara. Ben Duckett looked confident with 40 from 47 balls but got out reverse-sweeping to deep point just before lunch.
Dhananjaya's decision to bowl first surprised many as the ground basked in late August sunshine. Duckett hit three boundaries in Asitha's second over, suggesting England were ready to prove Lord's is a "look up, not down" ground. However, Kumara, replacing Vishwa Fernando, struck in his first over, getting Lawrence to edge to Nishan Madushka, who was keeping wickets after Dinesh Chandimal's injury in the first Test.
Pope's average as Test captain dropped further as he got out to an awkward pull shot off Asitha, caught by a delighted Dhananjaya at square leg.
Sri Lanka, unbeaten in London since 1991, were energized, with Asitha and Kumara searching for wickets while Rathnayake kept things tight. Kumara bowled with full effort, reaching speeds close to 90mph, and almost got Root out with an lbw appeal. The DRS showed it was clipping the leg stump, so the umpire's not-out decision stood. These fine margins defined the day's play.
End of Day's Play
Day 1 : England 1st innings 358/7 (Joe Root 143, Gus Atkinson 74*, Lahiru Kumara : 2/75)
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