Joe Root Falls Short of Milestone as England Battles India at Lord's
Joe Root's Near Miss at Lord's
During the third Test against India at Lord's, England's Joe Root came within 30 runs of surpassing Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid to become the fourth-highest run-scorer in Test history.
In the second session of day four, Root attempted a sweep shot but was bowled by a brilliant delivery from spinner Washington Sundar, finishing with 40 runs off 96 balls, including one boundary. This dismissal ended his partnership of 67 runs with captain Ben Stokes.
Root's Impressive Test Career Stats
Currently, Root ranks as the fifth-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, amassing 13,259 runs in 156 matches and 285 innings, with an average of 50.80. His record includes 37 centuries and 66 half-centuries, with a personal best of 262 runs.
In the ongoing series, Root has accumulated 253 runs across six innings, averaging 50.60, which includes one century and one fifty, with his highest score being 104.
Comparison with Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid, who holds the fourth position, has scored 13,288 runs at an average of 52.31 over 164 Tests and 256 innings, with 36 centuries and 63 fifties, his best being 270.
The all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket is Sachin Tendulkar, who has an impressive tally of 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78, including 51 centuries and 68 fifties, with a top score of 248*.
England's Position at the End of Day 4's Second Session
At the conclusion of the second session, England's score was 175/6, with Ben Stokes (27*) and Chris Woakes (8*) remaining at the crease. They held a lead of 175 runs.
Washington Sundar's spell was pivotal, as he took two wickets for just 13 runs, dismissing both Joe Root and Jamie Smith, which disrupted a promising partnership between Root and Stokes.
Day 4 Progression for England
England began Day 4 with a score of 2/0, featuring Zak Crawley (2) and Ben Duckett (0*) at the crease. Mohammed Siraj struck early, removing Duckett for 12 runs in the sixth over.
Ollie Pope joined Crawley, but Siraj soon claimed his second wicket by dismissing Pope for just four runs. At the drinks break, England was at 42/2, with Crawley on 17 runs.
Root's entry helped England surpass the 50-run mark, but Crawley was dismissed for 22 runs off 49 balls, continuing his struggle for runs in the series. Harry Brook then came to bat but was dismissed for 23 runs by Akash Deep.
India's Strong Response
Earlier in the match, India's KL Rahul scored a century, while Ravindra Jadeja contributed 72 runs, helping the team match England's first innings total of 387 runs.
England's captain Ben Stokes opted to bat first, leading to a total of 387 runs, bolstered by a century partnership between Root (104) and Ollie Pope (44), along with a counter-attacking 82-run partnership from Brydon Carse and Jamie Smith, both of whom scored fifties.