IND vs ENG: Centurion Root digs England out of a hole on day 1

Root, along with a steadfast Ben Foakes, lifted their side from a precarious position with a 113-run stand for the sixth wicket as the visiting side ended Day 1 of the fourth Test at 302 for seven.

England’s Joe Root in action during the first day of fourth Test match against India. | Photo Credit: K.R Deepak / The Hindu

Patience is a virtue rarely expounded by ‘Bazball’, the all-attack philosophy practiced by Ben Stokes’ England.

So, many were surprised when Joe Root, a batter of the classic mould, adapted seamlessly to the book of Bazball in the last two years. His strike rate under Stokes’ captaincy is over 71, while holding out an average of over 53. 

But on Friday, at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, Root reminded the world that he is still in verse with his older patient self, as he scored a vigilant, chanceless ton to dig England out of a hole against India. 

Root, along with a steadfast Ben Foakes, lifted their side from a precarious position with a 113-run stand for the sixth wicket as the visiting side ended Day 1 of the fourth Test at 302 for seven.

Root’s retreat to his conservative template – all his flamboyant shots were locked away deep in his kit bag – came almost as if in response to the backlash he has received in recent days. The 33-year-old had struggled so far this series, failing to go past the 30-run mark before today, often gifting India his wicket while attempting to be aggressive. 

On Friday, the English batter was rigidly cautious in his approach. He shuffled forward to his front foot against the spinners almost only to defend, while using the depth of the crease to milk runs off his back foot. The 33-year-old got to his fifty only on his 108th ball, indicating his desire to bide his time.

IND vs ENG 4th Test Highlights

Five of Root’s nine fours of the day came behind the square on the off side as he kept away the temptation of sweeping against the spinners, taking into account the uneven bounce on offer. 

Only when the pitch eased out – along with his worries – did Root start to take the Indian bowlers with drives on the up. He got to his ton with one such front-foot drive, which raced to the cover fence, off an impressive Akash Deep. 

At the other end, Foakes was equally diligent in his defence. The wicket-keeper batter played the perfect foil for Root as the pair played out the second session, to drag England back into the contest after an eventful morning session. 

The first over of the day, by Mohammed Siraj, failed to assuage England’s wariness about the pitch after it elected to bat. The right-arm pacer thudded one onto the gloves of English opener Zak Crawley and then beat his outside edge twice with deliveries that nipped but kept alarmingly low. 

Akash Deep sliced Zak Crawley by half with one that moved in by a mile and clipped the top of the off stump.  | Photo Credit: PTI

Debutant Akash too started well from the other end, hitting all the right lengths on a pitch that reminded one of Two-Face from the DC Universe - with one vertical half ridden with cracks and the other far more sturdier. 

Akash, who exploited the abrasive surface to his benefit, thought he was rewarded with his first Test wicket when he castled Crawley with one that ripped in, only to be denied by a no-ball call. 

Crawley soon shook away his shackles, carting Siraj for a hat-trick of fours and then topped it with a heave over long on for a six. 

But fate, and England, couldn’t keep Akash out for too long. The right-arm pacer persisted with his length and was duly rewarded. He started off by finding Ben Duckett’s outside edge by coming wide off the crease around the wicket, gifting keeper Dhruv Jurel an easy catch.

Even before the Ranchi crowd’s roar subsided, Akash had another one; this time trapping Ollie Pope in front of the stumps, aided by an astute review by Rohit Sharma. 

Akash reserved his best to nab Crawley, once again. The Bihar-born pacer sliced the English opener by half with one that moved in by a mile and clipped the top of the off stump. 

Despite the flurry of wickets, England kept going at nearly five runs an over in the morning session, with under-fire Jonny Bairstow taking over after the fall of Crawley.

The 34-year-old, who started off sedately, was spurred on by a moment of aggression from Siraj. Bairstow started off by walloping the Indian pacer for a couple of fours, before lofting R Ashwin over the mid-wicket fence. 

Ashwin though had the last laugh as he ended the English batter’s knock by squeezing a quicker one beneath his attempted sweep to trap him in front.

Ravindra Jadeja closed up the first session by clinching the prized wicket of rival skipper Ben Stokes, with one that stayed incredibly low. The ball, after pitching on a good length, struck the batter just above his boot. Stokes walked back instantly, refusing to even consider a review, as England was reduced to 112 for five. 

From there on, Root and Foakes ran the show with their attritional batting, much to the frustration of the Indian side and a sizeable crowd, which had trickled in by then. 

Foakes opened up in the third session by taking on Ashwin with an array of sweep shots. But he fell just short of his fifty, as he clipped one off Siraj straight to mid-wicket. 

Siraj provided another boost to India’s waning morale by scalping Tom Hartley soon enough with a reversing old ball. But the home side was not to deny Root his hundred – the 31st of his career – as he, along with a combative Ollie Robinson, guided England to a relative position of comfort at Stumps.