England beat India in the third Test: Records broken
England thrashed India by an innings and 76 runs in the third Test match at Edgbaston in Leeds on Saturday. India were bowled out for 78 in the first innings before England managed 432/10. The visitors showed resilience in the second innings and resumed Day 4 on 215/2. However, England outsmarted India with the new ball to trigger a collapse. Here's more.
India were poor with the bat in the first innings, being bowled out for just 78. That set India on the back foot. England openers added a century-plus stand. After openers departed, Dawid Malan and Joe Root carried forward. Root smashed his 23rd Test ton as England managed 432. India were 215/2 before crumbing against the new ball on Saturday to be all out.
Root has been in supreme form in the ongoing Test series, piling up his third century. He smashed 121 from 165 deliveries. In 108 Tests, Root has accumulated 9,221 runs at 50.38. He has 23 tons and 50 fifties. In 23 Tests against India, Root has piled up 2,296 runs at 62.05. He smashed his eighth Test century against India and sixth at home.
Root smashed his sixth Test hundred in 2021. Notably, no Englishman has ever scored more centuries in a calendar year. His centuries read as: 228 v Sri Lanka, Galle; 186 v Sri Lanka, Galle; 218 v India, Chennai; 109 v India, Trent Bridge; 180* v India, Lord's; 100* v India, Headingley. In 11 Tests this year, he has scored 1,398 runs at 69.90.
Senior Indian opening batsman Rohit Sharma hit a 59-run knock in the second innings. This was Rohit's 14th Test fifty as he raced to 2,909 runs at 46.17. Cheteshwar Pujara, who registered a duck in the first innings, managed 91 next. The 33-year-old Pujara smashed his 30th Test fifty. Indian skipper Virat Kohli hit 55 in the second innings. This was his 26th fifty.
Veteran England pacer James Anderson claimed figures of 3/6 in the first innings and took one more scalp in the second. Anderson has raced to 630 wickets in Tests. Notably, he has taken 131 wickets against Team India in Test cricket. He has scalped 13 wickets in the series so far.
Playing just his fourth Test, England pacer Ollie Robinson was the pick of the bowlers. The right-arm pacer claimed a brilliant fifer in the second innings. He now has 23 wickets since making his debut against New Zealand in June. He has taken his second five-wicket haul.
Root has scores of 64, 109, 180*, 33, and 121 in this series (507 runs). Notably, this is the second time Root has hit 500-plus runs against India in a Test series becoming the sixth batter to do so. Root has six tons as captain this year, equaling Steve Smith, Graeme Smith, and Ricky Ponting. Notably, Ponting holds the record (7).
Root now has the joint-second number of Test centuries for England. He equaled the tally of Kevin Pietersen. Only, Alastair Cook (33) has more. Root has now won the most Tests as England captain (27), steering clear of Andre Strauss (26).
