PICS: India vs England, first Test, Day 2

Images from Day 2 of the first Test between India and England, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai.

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Skipper Joe Root scored a superb double century in his 100th Test as England continued to frustrate India on Day 2 of the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

At stumps, England were 555 for eight with Dominic Bess (28) and Jack Leach (6) at the crease.

The 30-year-old Root became the first player to notch up a double ton in his 100th Test scoring 218 off 377 balls, while Ben Stokes hit a counter-attacking 82 off 118 balls, studded with 10 fours and three sixes.

Root's fifth Test double ton was laced with 19 hits to the fence and two maximums, one of which helped him to reach the milestone.

Root looked typically solid against an Indian attack which could manage only a couple of half-hearted lbw appeals against him and shared a 124-run partnership with Stokes for the fourth wicket, before forging another 86 with Ollie Pope (34) to put England in a commanding position, before the two batsmen fell in successive overs.

Pope was trapped leg before wicket by Ravichandran Ashwin, while Root fell in the same fashion to Shahbaz Nadeem, who took 2/167, including the wicket of Ben Stokes.

Ishant Sharma lifted India's spirits late on the second day with two quick wickets when he bowled Jos Buttler (30) and Jofra Archer (0) off successive deliveries.

Dominic Bess (28 not out) and (Jack Leach 6 not out) frustrated the Indians towards the close of play as England opted to continue batting.

Session 1:

IMAGE: Joe Root celebrates completing 150 in the morning session on Saturday, Day 2 of the first Test against India. Photograph: BCCI

Joe Root registered his third straight 150-plus score, and added 92 runs with Ben Stokes, as England dominated the opening session on Day 2.

England’s skipper was batting on 156 (277 balls, 16 fours, 1 six) while Stokes was unbeaten on 63 (98 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) when the tourists went into the lunch break on 385 for 3.

The experienced Indian trio of Ishant Sharma (0/37), Jasprit Bumrah (2/57) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/92) toiled, but could not break the Root-Stokes partnership, which is looking ominous from the host's point of view.

Shahbaz Nadeem (0/100) and Washington Sundar (0/65) could not make any impact and were taken for easy runs as India's woes mounted.

Stokes played some powerful shots, including sweeps off the spinners, and reached his 50 off 73 balls with a powerful reverse sweep off Shahbaz Nadeem as he put the bowlers under pressure.

Even as Stokes went about playing aggressively, Root appeared content to play second fiddle and quietly moved past 150 without looking in much trouble.

Root had hit a double ton in Sri Lanka in the recent series and followed it up with another big century on Day 1.

Stokes hit two beautiful shots, one each on the on-side and the off-side off Ishant Sharma to bring up the team’s 300.

England added 40 runs in the opening hour as Root and Stokes moved on without any great alarms even as the Indian bowlers kept plugging away.

In between, Ashwin put down a caught and bowled chance and Cheteshwar Pujara could not hold on to a tough catch when Stokes hammered one on the leg-side.

Stokes, as always on the lookout for runs, smacked Ashwin for a big six over mid-off.

Early in the day, Bumrah almost did Stokes in with a brilliant yorker, which the southpaw somehow managed to keep out and ensured that England did not lose a wicket after resuming at the overnight score of 263 for 3.

The hard-working Bumrah came up with a searing yorker closer to lunch but Root was able to bring his bat down in time.

Session 2:

England skipper Joe Root scored a superb double century in his 100th Test as England continued to dominate, amassing 454 for 4 by tea, on Day 2 of the first Test against India, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai, on Saturday.

Resuming at his lunch score of 156, Root batted with his customary cool, at ease against both pace and spin on a slow track, as the home bowlers managed only a couple of half-hearted leg before appeals against him. He got to his double hundred with a six off off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

At the tea break, he was unbeaten on 209 (19 fours and 2 sixes) and England well in command.

He was helped to a large extent by a fine 82 from Ben Stokes, which included 10 boundaries and three sixes.

India's desperation showed when they opted for back-to-back reviews, both in vain, after lbw appeals against Stokes and Root were turned down.

England added 99 runs in the session between lunch and tea and lost one wicket, that of Stokes.

Root’s 124-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Stokes put the tourists high in the saddle.

Ollie Pope (batting on 24), who came in at the fall of Stokes's wicket, overcame an early period of uncertainty to stitch together a half-century stand with Root.

Stokes fell when in sight of a hundred, holing out after going for a slog sweep, to give Shahbaz Nadeem his first wicket. It was some reward for his toil as Cheteshwar Pujara took the catch in the deep after an awkward juggle.

For India, the experienced trio of Ishant Sharma (0/42), Jasprit Bumrah (2/66) and Ashwin (1/114 from 41 overs) stuck to their task but could not find any success.

Nadeem (1/140), though he broke the Root-Stokes partnership, and Washington Sundar (0/65) could not make any impact and proved to be expensive.