Joe Root gets a double quarterback as England earn 286 lead over Sri Lanka after the first innings in the first Test; All-England out for 421 in Galle after hosts skied for 135 on the first day; watch Sri Lanka ‘s second innings live on Sky Sports Cricket
Last updated: 16/01/21 7:10 am
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Watch Joe Root’s 228 best against Sri Lanka in Galle
Watch Joe Root’s 228 best against Sri Lanka in Galle
Joe Root advanced 228 and passed 8,000 Test runs as England made all 421s in the first Test to lead Sri Lanka before 286 after the first innings in Galle.
Root, who started on the third day unnoticed at 168, reached his fourth Test double hundred from 291 balls, happily with a sweep for four, before he was the last man out, caught in depth off Dilruwan Perera.
The England captain had previously reached 200 against Lord Sri Lanka in 2014, against Pakistan in Manchester in 2016, and New Zealand at Hamilton in 2019 – only Wally Hammond (7) and Sir Alastair Cook (5) has more double centuries for England.
0:59 Root was the last man out, caught at a deep midwicket
Root had become the seventh batter in England to reach 8,000 test runs, after Cook, Graham Gooch, Alec Stewart, David Gower, Kevin Pietersen and Sir Geoffrey Boycott.
The 30-year-old is the second-fastest to the milestone in terms of innings played, making it in 178 hills, behind just Pietersen, who achieved the feat in 176 innings.
Root went over 8,000 test runs during the course of the intestines. He is the seventh Englishman to reach the landmark and, in terms of innings (this is his 178th) is the second fastest after Kevin Pietersen, who reached the milestone in 176 innings.
Root took his stand in the fifth wicket with Jos Buttler (30) to 68 after England resumed 320-4 with a lead of 185 – just for a ball change to take two wickets in as many balls.
0:56 Asitha Fernando shook Sam Curran for a duck while bagging two wickets in as many balls
Bowler Seam Asitha Fernando first caught Buttler back from a ball that moved away from the right-hander before first curling Curran’s left-back with a ball that gave shape.
The ball hat-trick was survived by Dom Bess (0) but was subsequently run out after a mix with Root, while Jack Leach (4) and Mark Wood (2) were sacked by the man. -dilining Dilruwan (4-109).
Stuart Broad, who was sent off from lbw against Dilruwan, was unbeaten at 11 when Root moved to a deep midwicket.
Broad and England archers are now looking to rip through Sri Lanka for the second time in the game after the guests dropped to 135 all out after opting to bat on the first day.
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