India vs England 2021: WATCH – Joe Root scores a record breaking double century in his 100th Test match

India vs England 2021: WATCH – Joe Root scores a record breaking double century in his 100th Test match

Joe Root celebrates his double century (Phtoto - BCCI)

Joe Root celebrates his double century (Phtoto - BCCI)
Joe Root celebrates his double century (Phtoto – BCCI)

England captain Joe Root smashed the fifth double century of his career to mark the occasion of his 100th Test. Root reached the milestone in style as he deposited Ravichandran Ashwin over long-on for a six. The Yorkshireman danced down the pitch to bring up the milestone in Virender Sehwag’s style. Root became the first English cricketer to bring up a double century with a six.

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Coming in to the series off the back of a terrific tour of Sri Lanka where he got two 150+ scores, Root marched on in India with an innings of utmost quality. He dealt with the bowlers with nonchalant ease and was unfazed by the Indian bowling attack. He stitched together good partnerships with Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope along the way. By the time he got out to Shahbaz Nadeem after scoring 218, the damage had been done and an empty stadium in Chennai had been witness to one of the greatest knocks in India by an overseas batsman.

Record galore at Chepauk for Joe Root

His fifth double century saw Root smash numerous records. He became the first batsman in the history of the game to hit a double century in his 100th Test. His score of 218 is also the highest by an Englishman on Indian soil as he surpassed Mike Gatting, who scored 207, in Chennai only, back in 1984. With the fabulous innings, Root becomes the first batsman since Brendon McCullum in 2014 to hit a double century against India. And the first since 2010 to hit a double hundred in India in Tests.

Root’s double ton is a first against India since Virat Kohli took over the reins. It took 57 games for a batsman to achieve the landmark against Kohli’s team. Root joined the elite company of Sir Don Bradman as he became the first captain since the Aussie great to score three consecutive 150+ scores in Tests. As he reached 218, Root slips past Alec Stewart to become England’s third-highest run-scorers in Tests of all time with 8464 career runs to his name.

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