Joe Root led England’s recovery with his 33rd Test century as they finished on 358/7 on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Thursday.
Root spent 12 balls on 99 before elegantly guiding pacer Lahiru Kumara for four between slip and gully to reach his hundred off 162 balls, which included 13 fours. He was eventually dismissed for 143 off 206 balls.
Root and Gus Atkinson (74 batting) smashed the Lankan bowlers during a 92-run stand for the seventh wicket after England had slipped to 216/6.
Harry Brook (33) fell lbw to Asitha Fernando and Jamie Smith (21) was caught behind off Milan Rathnayake at the end of the second session.
Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva surprisingly chose to bowl, gambling on early swing despite the glorious sunshine at the toss.
His decision seemed like a risk, even as opening bowlers Fernando and Rathnayake found some movement in the air.
And when Ben Duckett hit three boundaries in Fernando’s second over, De Silva — who opted to bat at Old Trafford last week, only to see his side fall to 6/3 — may have had second thoughts.
But England lost Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope and the well-set Duckett cheaply to post 97/3 at lunch and justify De Silva’s approach.
Lawrence (9) played at a wide ball from Kumara that nipped away and caught the edge to keeper Nishan Madushka before England’s stand-in captain Pope (1) top-edged a swipe off Fernando to give De Silva a simple catch.
Duckett scored at nearly a run-a-ball throughout and Root clipped his first delivery for four, before the impressive Kumara rapped him on the pad, with a review for lbw turned down on umpire’s call.
England otherwise appeared comfortable until Duckett (40) mis-hit a reverse sweep.
Written with Reuters inputs
