England pile on the runs against India

Dawid Malan hailed Joe Root as a “phenomenal” batsman after the England captain delighted his Yorkshire home crowd with yet another superb hundred against India, AFP reported.

Root’s 121 at Headingley was his sixth Test century of 2021 and equalled the England record for the most hundreds in a calendar year shared by Denis Compton (1947) and Michael Vaughan (2002).

He has now scored 1,398 runs in 11 Tests at an average of 69.90 since the start of the year, with the 30-year-old Root enjoying a run of form that puts him in elite company.

Thursday’s innings was also Root’s third hundred in as many Tests against India this series.

But while his 109 at Trent Bridge came during a rain-marred draw and not even his commanding 180 not out at Lord’s could prevent a 151-run defeat that saw India go 1-0 up in the five-match contest, his latest century appears to have put England on course for a victory, barring a freak turn of events.