"No better way to mark your 100th Test" - Joe Root expresses his pride over England team after Chennai Test win
Joe Root became the first batsman in cricket history to score a double century in his 100th Test. His incredible knock powered England to a 227-run win against India in the first Test. After the game, Root shared an Instagram post to celebrate the victory.
The English skipper pointed out there could not have been a better way to mark his 100th appearance in Test cricket. Joe Root added he was proud of his men after their excellent performance against India. Lastly, he stated that the English team would focus on the second Chennai Test now.
"No better way to mark your 100th Test. Couldn’t be more proud of the team! On to the next one," Joe Root wrote.
England won the toss and batted first in Chennai. Dom Sibley and Rory Burns provided a solid start for the visitors with a 63-run opening stand. Although England lost two wickets quickly, Root ensured the Indian attack did not run through the middle order.
Joe Root broke the record for the highest Test score by an Englishman on Indian soil
Heading into this series, Joe Root played two excellent knocks against Sri Lanka. While the Indian attack is more dangerous, there was no difference in Root's performance. He stabilized the English innings with a 200-run partnership with Sibley.
Joe Root then had a 124-run fourth-wicket stand with all-rounder Ben Stokes. After Stokes' departure, Root added 86 runs for the fifth wicket with Ollie Pope. Eventually, Shahbaz Nadeem trapped him in front of the stumps. However, by then, Root had already secured the game for his team.
Joe Root shattered Mike Gatting's record for the highest Test score by an English player in India. Gatting had scored 207 runs in Chennai, while Root ended with 218 runs from 377 deliveries.
The second Test will also take place at MA Chidambaram Stadium. It will be interesting to see if India can bounce back and keep their hopes of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship alive.