2nd Test
Day-3 Afternoon Session Highlights:
Joe Root’s record-breaking century has propelled England to set a daunting target for Sri Lanka
At The Tea of Day-3:
England scored 427 (1st Innings) & 251 (2nd Innings), where as Sri Lanka scored 196 (1st Innings).
So, finally England lead by 482 runs.
On a third day largely controlled by the hosts, England were bowled out for 251, setting Sri Lanka an imposing target of 483 runs to win the Lord’s Test and level the series.
Joe Root, in the process, notched his 34th Test century, surpassing Alastair Cook to become England’s leading century-maker.
Root’s century, his fastest in Test cricket (off 111 balls), elevated him to joint-sixth on the all-time list of Test centurions, placing him alongside legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, Younis Khan, and Mahela Jayawardene.
England added 92 runs for the loss of six wickets in the session, with Root being the main contributor, having been unbeaten on 45 at Lunch.
The 33-year-old quickly reached his half-century on the third afternoon and built vital partnerships with the lower order to push England closer to a 500-run lead.
Prabath Jayasuriya began the session well for Sri Lanka by trapping Jamie Smith LBW in the second over after Lunch.
However, Jayasuriya struggled against Root, who hammered him for three boundaries in a single over.
Chris Woakes was dismissed for 5, caught at short cover off Milan Rathnayake, while Gus Atkinson, the first-innings centurion, top-edged a reverse sweep to Asitha Fernando.
Matthew Potts also didn’t last long, edging one down the leg side following a successful review by Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Root stealthily accumulated runs, reaching his milestone century with an elegant punch through the covers.
This century marked his 50th international hundred and his seventh at Lord’s, the most by any England batter at a single venue.
England’s innings concluded when Root was caught off a short ball in the deep, but by then, he had already ensured England was in a commanding position to secure a 2-0 lead in the series.
Earlier in the day, England added 134 runs to their overnight score despite losing three wickets in the morning session.
Ben Duckett was dismissed early after adding just nine runs, while Ollie Pope succumbed to Asitha Fernando’s short-ball strategy.
Sri Lanka’s efforts were further hampered when Nishan Madushka dropped Harry Brook on 16, only for Brook to respond with a six off the next ball.
Brook and Root added 58 runs before Brook was eventually caught for 32.
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