Xtra Time Web Desk: England captain Joe Root is going through the form of his life as he reached his third consecutive hundred (121 off 165 balls) of the series against India at Headingley on Thursday. England at stumps on Day 2 has scored 423/8, leading by 345 runs with two more wickets in hand. Craig Overton is batting on 24* along with Ollie Robinson. The visitors did well in the final session picking 5 wickets for 125 runs.
England captain batted like a dream on his way to third consecutive hundred of the series. It was also his sixth hundred in the calendar year. During his 165 ball knock Root hit 14 boundaries. Root was given good support by Dawid Malan who scored 70(128). The duo shared a 139-run stand off 189 balls before Malan picked up a faint edge while trying to flick Mohammad Siraj at the stroke of tea. Indian pacers, who scripted a memorable win at Lord’s, bowled too many boundary balls and the England duo was quick to put them away.
Root, who had been singlehandedly carrying the batting responsibilities, got much need support from Malan, who has made an instant impact in his first Test in three years. Indian bowlers have not been able to trouble Root so far in the series and the skipper scored runs at will on Thursday.
In the morning session, India struck twice but it was not enough to put England under pressure.Mohammad Shami looked the most threatening among the four Indian fast bowlers, who did not get enough seam or swing movement for the second day running. Shami, coming round the wicket, removed Rory Burns (61 off 153) in the first hour of play with a ball that nipped back in sharply to hit the top of off-stump.
The visitors got a much needed second wicket against the run of play when Ravindra Jadeja struck in his first over of the day with a beauty. The left-arm spinner got one to straighten slightly from middle and off-stump to beat a well-set Haseeb Hameed (68 off 195) and kiss the bails for his first wicket of the series.
India were bowled out for 78 runs on Day 1.