Joe Root, the England captain, sent India on a leather hunt, becoming the first player in history to score a double century in his 100th Test match. Root, who was unbeaten on 128 overnight, batted on against India on Day 2 in Chennai and notched up the fifth double century of his career – second in three Tests.
In the process, Root also surpassed former Pakistan captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq as the player with the highest individual score playing the 100th Test match of his career. Inzamam had hit 184 against India in a Test match in Bengaluru in 2005, which Pakistan had won by 168 runs. His record stood for 15 years before being broken by Root, who reached his double-century with a six off R Ashwin, the second time he hit the off-spinner over the ropes.
Prior to the start of the series against Sri Lanka, where Root hit a double ton and a century, the England skipper had gone without a century in nine Tests, and while he wasn't short of runs, Root was said to slowly drift out of the Fab 4 which includes Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson. But three consecutive centuries in Tests should dispel any such doubts, as pointed out by former England skipper Nasser Hussain.
As Root remained unbeaten on 209 at the tea internal on Day 2, with England’s score reading a solid 454/4, he also became only the second captain – first since the legendary Don Bradman – to hit 150-plus scores in three straight Test matches. He hit 228 against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle as England picked up a convincing seven-wicket win, and followed it with a knock of 186 to help his team secure a six-wicket win at the same venue in the next Test.
{{/usCountry}}As Root remained unbeaten on 209 at the tea internal on Day 2, with England’s score reading a solid 454/4, he also became only the second captain – first since the legendary Don Bradman – to hit 150-plus scores in three straight Test matches. He hit 228 against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle as England picked up a convincing seven-wicket win, and followed it with a knock of 186 to help his team secure a six-wicket win at the same venue in the next Test.
{{/usCountry}}Root's fine form in the first Test stretches his phenomenal Test record in India. In six Tests prior to this, Root has scored 584 runs in India an average close to 60 with five fifties and a century. In fact, during England's 2016 tour of India, Root scored 491 runs from five Tests, including one century and five fifties.