Second Test, Day Three: Joe Root Marches On As England Reduce Deficit to 50 Runs

Leading from the front: Joe Root

Image: PTI Alastair Grant

England skipper Joe Root, still going strong on 132, walked off the field with his head held high as the hosts reduced the deficit to just 50 runs at tea on the third day of the second Test match at Lord's.

England had another excellent session, adding 98 runs to take their score to 314-5. India, who managed to take the wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler, will have to bowl at least 36 overs in the third and last session of Day Three.

Through the Gates: Jos Buttler

Image: PTI / Alastair Grant

The Indian team came out after lunch with a plan and did not take much time to strike. Coming from around the wicket, Siraj opted for the bodyline approach and bowled a barrage of short balls at Bairstow. Unsettled by the tactic, Bairstow decided to pull one and fell into the trap. The ball, straight off his glove, looped to Kohli at slip.

However, skipper Root was in a different mood altogether and soon brought up his fourth hundred at Lord's and his second consecutive century in the series.

Just two balls later, India almost had their man as Bumrah managed to find an edge from Root's bat, but the ball just went wide of the leaping Rohit Sharma at second slip.

In the very next over, Buttler hit a miscued drive off Ishant Sharma, which came high off the bat and went over the hands of Shami at extra cover. Sharma kept on troubling Buttler as he got the ball to nip-back to strike Buttler's knee roll. While the ball, collected by Pant, looked outside the line, it also looked close to an inside edge. However, India decided not to go for the review.

Soon, Root became the second youngest Englishman, behind Alastair Cook, to score 9000 runs in Tests. Buttler, meanwhile, was gifted two looseners by Shami and gladly dispatched them to the boundary. Bumrah almost took his first wicket of the match, but Buttler's edge went through the gap between third slip and gully. TV replays showed it was a no-ball, and with that, Buttler and Root brought up their 50-run partnership.

Buttler, who never looked comfortable despite the good batting conditions, tried to drive a length-ball inswinger by Sharma, but the ball went through the gate and hit the top of off stump.

Moeen Ali, the new batsman in, was continuously beaten outside the off-stump by the Indian bowlers but soon settled down with the help of four boundaries.