Trent Bridge – Joe Root is now England’s leading run scorer across all formats of cricket. Joe passed Sir Alastair Cook’s 15,737 runs on his way to scoring an invaluable 64 in the opening Test against India.
Facing high-class bowling, England were struggling on 42-2 when Joe came out to bat. Displaying sound batting technique, allied with understated resilience, the England captain took on the challenge.
Joe was quickly into his stride with a series of fours. With England on 66, Sibley (18) was dismissed. Joe then shared a much needed 72 run partnership with Bairstow (29).
89 balls into his innings, Joe reached his fiftieth half-century in Test matches. The Root-Bairstow partnership was still together and England were battling back.
Just before tea Joe displaced Sir Alastair Cook as England’s leading run gatherer in both long and short formats of the game. Joe has now scored 15,780 international runs with over 8700 runs accumulated from 194 Test innings.
After tea England, not for the first-time, collapsed to 183 all out. Without Joe’s 64 runs a miserable batting display have been a dreadful one.
At the close of play India were 21-0.
(PhoenixMedia Image Created from a Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)