Joe Root is getting his 18th hundred test and first since he hit 226 against New Zealand in November 2019; The English captain reaches a milestone from 163 balls in Galle; watch the first live Test on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event
Last Updated: 15/01/21 8:23 am
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Joe Root scored his 18th Test on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka
Joe Root scored his 18th Test on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka
Joe Root completed his 18th hundred test and the first in over a year with a 163-ball record on day two of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
The England captain reached the milestone for the first time since November 2019 – against New Zealand in Hamilton – when he blew up Dilruwan Perera for a single after lunch.
Root’s ton came from 163 balls at a half-century stand by editor Dan Lawrence, with the fiftieth partnership sealed in the morning session when Lawrence launched six over the side of the leg and ‘keep the position.
Jonny Bairstow (47) was the only person killed on a rainy morning, failing to increase his score overnight as he was going around a ball that was turning swiftly from Lasith Embuldeniya to Kusal Mendis at a gul once the play started more than an hour late.
0:57 Jonny Bairstow was caught off Lasith Embuldeniya at gul
England’s Root and Lawrence – who started again at 127-2 – handed over 135 all-Sri Lankan suicides on the first day, in which spinner Dom Bess was trapped 5- 30 and sailor Stuart Broad 3-20.
Root swept away three runs in the final before lunch to move on to 99 but was unable to recover on strike and had to stew over lunch before securing his third test against Sri Lanka.
The 30-year-old made 200 not outs against the same Lord’s challenge in 2014 and then 124 against them in Kandy at the end of 2018 due to England’s 3-0 win over the island.
Sri Lanka revised for Root lbw from the second ball of the day but the decision remained with the umpire’s call not to be out due to impact.
Watch the first Test between Sri Lanka and England live on Sky Sports Cricket.