Joe Root etched his name in the history books, achieving a record-breaking 34th Test century and setting up a mammoth chase for Sri Lanka in the second Test at Lord’s. The star batsman’s second century of the match, following his impressive 143 in the first innings, propelled England to a formidable second-innings total of 251 all out on the third day. This left Sri Lanka with a daunting task of chasing 483 runs to level the three-Test series at 1-1, following England’s five-wicket victory at Old Trafford last week.
Root surpassed the previous record of 33 Test centuries held by retired England opener Alastair Cook. He achieved this milestone by edging the last ball of the innings, showcasing his incredible consistency and prowess in the format. Adding to his brilliance, Root, who had previously smashed the quickest century of his 145-Test career in just 111 balls, held two catches at first slip before bad light brought an end to the day’s play. Sri Lanka, at stumps, found themselves at 53-2, requiring a further 430 runs for what would be a stunning victory.
This was Root’s seventh Test century at Lord’s, giving him sole possession of the record for the most Test centuries at the ‘Home of Cricket,’ a record he previously shared with former England captains Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan. Furthermore, it was the first time Root had achieved centuries in both innings of the same Test, placing him in the elite company of the West Indies’ George Headley, Gooch, and Vaughan as the only batters to have accomplished this feat at Lord’s.
England, resuming on 25-1 with a significant lead of 256 runs, continued their dominance after dismissing Sri Lanka for 196 in reply to their first-innings total of 427. Ollie Pope, who had been struggling with a string of low scores since taking over the captaincy from the injured Ben Stokes, unfortunately fell cheaply on 17. However, England’s lead continued to grow, reaching a commanding 300 runs. Harry Brook, who survived a dropped catch on nine, contributed 37 runs before being dismissed by Prabath Jayasuriya. Brook’s dismissal, along with Jamie Smith’s lbw for 26, presented a brief opportunity for Sri Lanka to gain some momentum.
However, the serene Root, with his trademark elegant strokeplay, twice swept and then reverse-swept Jayasuriya for three fours in an over, effectively quashing any hopes of a Sri Lankan comeback. As Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts fell in quick succession, Root, approaching his century, found himself in danger of running out of partners. However, Olly Stone held firm, allowing Root to reach his hundred with a cutting stroke off Lahiru Kumara for his 10th four before being dismissed by the paceman.
With the floodlights on and gloomy conditions making batting increasingly difficult, England’s bowlers kept Sri Lanka under pressure. Pope utilized the spin of Shoaib Bashir and Root’s part-time off-breaks in an attempt to prevent the match from being halted for bad light. However, the umpires allowed England’s quicks to bowl, with Atkinson removing Madushka for 13 and Stone, playing his first Test in three years, dismissing Pathum Nissanka for 14 in similar fashion. The daunting chase for Sri Lanka continued, with the team needing to script a historic victory by achieving the highest fourth-innings total to win a match in Test history. The current record stands at 418-7 achieved by the West Indies against Australia at St. John’s in 2002/03. Sri Lanka’s quest for a historic win at Lord’s remains a challenging task, but with the remaining two days of play still left, the excitement remains high.
