Joe Root's Record-Breaking 150 Leads England to Strong Position in Fourth Test

England Dominates Day Three with Stellar Performances

Manchester [UK], July 25: Joe Root's remarkable innings of 150, coupled with a solid half-century from Ben Stokes, has placed England in a commanding position during the fourth Test at Manchester. The home team now boasts a lead of 186 runs.

As the third day concluded, England stood at 544/7, with Stokes remaining not out at 77 and Liam Dawson contributing 21 runs.

Beginning the final session at 433/4, Root (121*) and captain Stokes (36*) were at the crease. In a positive turn, Jasprit Bumrah returned to bowl after experiencing some difficulties earlier in the match. England crossed the 450-run threshold in 105.4 overs.

During the 108th over, Stokes attempted a reverse-sweep against Washington Sundar but appeared to be in discomfort, indicating potential hamstring or calf issues. Nevertheless, he secured his first fifty of the series, hitting three fours in 97 balls.

After scoring quickly against the spin duo of Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, Stokes left the field with an unbeaten score of 66, limping slightly.

Root reached his 150 in 246 balls, striking 14 fours. Following a drinks break, a sharply spinning delivery from Jadeja led to Root's dismissal, caught behind by Dhruv Jurel, leaving England at 499 runs.

England achieved the 500-run milestone in 119.4 overs.

India fought back with two quick wickets, as Bumrah dismissed Jamie Smith for 9, and Mohammed Siraj bowled out Chris Woakes for just four runs. This left England at 528/7 after a long period of persistence from the Indian bowlers.

Stokes, who had previously retired hurt, returned to the field, and he along with Dawson ensured that England ended the day without losing any further wickets.

Root and Stokes added 84 runs off 131 balls before tea, with the visitors at 433/4, leading by 75 runs, as Root remained on 121* and Stokes on 36*.

England began the second session at 332/2, with Pope (70*) and Root (63*) unbeaten, trailing by 26 runs. Washington Sundar was introduced into the attack after lunch and quickly took two wickets, dismissing Ollie Pope and Harry Brook.

Stokes joined Root at the crease, and the pair completed a 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket in the 94th over, while also surpassing the 400-run mark.

Root celebrated his 38th Test century by pushing the ball towards fine leg for a four off Anshul Kamboj in the 96th over. This marked his 23rd Test century in England, tying him with Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Mahela Jayawardene for the most home Test centuries.

Root's performance against India has been exceptional, as he surpassed Steve Smith to become the player with the most centuries against them in Test cricket, now totaling 12 centuries.

Earlier in the match, a century partnership between Ollie Pope and Root brought England close to India's first innings total, as they finished the first session with over 300 runs on day three.

At the start of the first session, England was at 225/2, with Pope (20*) and Root (11*) unbeaten. The team began the day with aggressive intent, with Mohammed Siraj conceding runs and India missing a run-out opportunity to dismiss Root. Eventually, the duo reached their 50-run partnership.

Pope helped England reach the 250-run mark with a fine shot against Bumrah, executing a pull shot through backward square leg.

After scoring his 31st run, Root surpassed Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis to become the third-highest run-scorer of all time. The Indian pacers Bumrah, Siraj, and Anshul Kamboj struggled to contain the Root-Pope partnership.

Pope returned to form, reaching his fifty in 93 balls, hitting six fours. Kamboj missed a chance to dismiss Pope in the 63rd over, as wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel failed to catch a tough chance.

A beautiful straight drive by Pope on a full-length delivery from Kamboj helped the duo achieve their 100-run partnership in 172 balls. England reached the 300-run mark in 66.5 overs, with Root also reaching his half-century in 99 balls, hitting six fours.

The pair continued to score runs against the spin bowlers Jadeja and Sundar, ensuring England finished the session strongly.

Brief Scores: England: 544/7 (Joe Root 150, Ben Stokes 77, Ravindra Jadeja 2/117) vs India: 358 (Sai Sudharsan 61, Rishabh Pant 58, Ben Stokes 5/72).