England’s strong position and desire to push the game on led to a number of cameos and wickets as a result of attacking shots. Pope, Ben Duckett for 24, Harry Brook for 37 and Jamie Smith for 26 all fell into that category.
Root’s super strength is his ability to score steadily without inviting danger. This was an exhibition of risk-free run-making, done in less time than most of the country waited in line for an Oasis ticket.
An edge between slip and gully when he had two was the closest Root came to an error. He regularly fetched the spin of Jayasuriya to the on-side boundary and swatted away baseball-style when the seamers tried leg theory. He attempted, and missed, a reverse scoop on 69.
As England batters came and went, the main danger to Root was running out of partners. As Stone arrived Root farmed the strike, but was made to wait for his ton by Sri Lanka’s deep-set field.
Eventually, when he carved Fernando into the vacant off side, Root leapt for joy. He was dropped off the next ball, then hooked Lahiru Kumara to deep square leg and departed to another standing ovation.
In among the records, Root joined Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar as batters to have 5,000 Test runs in two different decades. More importantly, he is 95 behind Cook’s all-time England total of 12,472, which seems primed to go in next week’s final Test at The Oval.
