Joe Root becomes the 2nd England batter after Sir Alastair Cook to cross 12000 Test runs
Ace England batter Joe Root has become the second from his country to pass 12000 Test runs, doing so on Day 2 of the third Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The classy right-handed batter accomplished the feat in the first over after lunch with a boundary.
The former England Test skipper is only behind Sir Alastair Cook for most runs in the format, with the latter amassing 12,472 runs before retiring in 2018. Root is now seventh in the list of run-getters in Test cricket and will have his eyes on going past Kumar Sangakkara, who accumulated 12400 runs.
The Yorkshire batter had equalled Steve Smith's and Kane Williamson's tally of 32 tons in the second innings of the previous Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Additionally, he surpassed former West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul to climb to the eighth spot in the list of all-time run-getters in Tests.
England lose Ollie Pope and Harry Brook cheaply around Joe Root on Day 2 in Birmingham
Meanwhile, the hosts were put in early trouble on day two by the West Indian bowlers as Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales dismissed Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, respectively to reduce them to 54/5. However, Root and his captain Ben Stokes have steadied the ship ever since to restore some sanity.
With the West Indies choosing to bat first after Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss on Day 1, the tourists collapsed to 115/5 at one stage after an opening partnership of 76. The 109-run partnership between Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva put their innings back on track. Some lusty blows by Shamar Joseph and Seals lifted the visitors to 282.
The Caribbeans also came out firing on all cylinders with the ball as Seales got rid of Mark Wood and Zak Crawley, while Alzarri removed Ben Duckett.
While the West Indies have already lost the series, a win at Edgbaston would do them a world of good ahead of the South Africa series at home.