Joe Root, the England skipper, notched up his 15th Test century to propel his side to a 278 run lead on the third day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The visitors ended the day on 324/9 after play was cut short by a thunderstorm in the final session.
The right-hander will cherish this knock, which saw him scale his second three-figure score in Asian conditions. Wickets kept tumbling around him, but the 27-year-old applied himself on a tricky pitch to unearth a masterclass of an innings against a potent spin bowling attack.
Akila Dananjaya, with his right-arm off-spin, was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers. He returned impressive figures of 6/106 in his 23-over spell, as more than half of the English batsmen fell while attempting the sweep.
Jack Leach, the England nightwatchman, was dismissed by Dilruwan Perera in the second over of the day after adding just one run to the tally. Rory Burns and Keaton Jennings then added 73 runs for the second wicket, helping the visitors climb to a 31-run lead.
Jennings, who scored a brilliant century in the first Test, was ultimately dismissed for a 54-ball 26, which brought Root to the crease. Burns, who scored 59 quick runs in 66 deliveries, stitched a 31-run stand with his skipper, before falling to Malinda Pushpakumara in the 26th over. Ben Stokes followed moments later, returning to the pavilion with a two-ball duck.
The right-hander scored 34 clean runs on a spinning surface, accumulating 74 runs with Root for the fifth wicket. He fell while trying to employ the reverse sweep against Akila Dananjaya, dragging the ball into his woodwork.
Moeen Ali, England’s next batsman in, did not last too long. He was adjudged LBW on 10 in what looked like a tight decision from the on-field umpire. The all-rounder was unlucky not to get a chance to review it, as the visitors had used up their referrals earlier in the innings.
Ben Foakes, who replaced Ali in the middle, was England’s best batsman after Root. He played the perfect second fiddle to his captain and looked in fine fettle throughout his innings. His footwork against spin looked seamless, as he dug deep in his crease and dished out yet another impressive performance of his still-nascent Test career.
England lost their skipper after tea, as Dananjaya found his own in the final hour of play. The off-spinner dismissed Root, Sam Curran, and Adil Rashid in quick succession, as England were reduced to 324/9 before the showers began.
Be the first to comment