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Joe Root’s record 34th Test century for England helped them set Sri Lanka a highly improbable 483 to level the series.
Root equalled Sir Alastair Cook’s national benchmark this week and the Yorkshireman is now out in front as, for the first time in his glittering 145-Test career, he registered a hundred in both innings.
His latest effort off just 111 balls was also his fastest while his majestic 103 in England’s 251 all out saw Root overtake Graham Gooch for the most Test runs amassed at Lord’s with 2,022.
England’s second innings was all about damage limitation for Sri Lanka, who need to set a world record to send the three-match series to a decider at the Oval next week.
While Ollie Pope made it to double figures for the first time in four innings since stepping up to lead England in Ben Stokes’ absence, his decision to meet Sri Lanka’s bumper ploy head-on backfired.
A premeditated hack from Asitha Fernando’s first ball found the lone fielder on the off-side boundary and he was out for a scratchy 17 after he and Ben Duckett resumed on day three with England 256 ahead.
Pope was beaten between bat and pad by Lahiru Kumara then weathered a blow on his right elbow from the seamer but Duckett was the first to go for 24 when Angelo Mathews grabbed from Nishan Madushka’s parry.
Root edged between a vacant slip and gully for his first four while Pope moved into double figures with his first boundary then survived a Sri Lanka review for lbw, with the ball just going over the stumps.
It was a false dawn, though. While there could be no faulting Pope’s intent, his execution was off as he telegraphed Sri Lanka spreading the field, stepped to leg and slashed a cut to deep backward point.
Harry Brook was given a life on nine after taking on Prabath Jayasuriya, with Madushka shelling a skier. Undeterred Brook got down on one knee again and went for the same shot, this time nailing a six.
Brook unfurled some lovely off-side drives but was unable to capitalise on the drop after holing out to deep midwicket as Jayasuriya finally had his man for a breezy 37 off 36 balls. Jamie Smith was similarly fluent with 26 but he missed a sweep off Jayasuriya and was given lbw.
Root had earlier toyed with Jayasuriya with two conventional sweeps in front of square then a reverse for three fours in an over after going to 50, celebrating with a trademark late cut for four.
He missed his patented reverse ramp – the shot had been in his downfall in his first-innings 143 – but the only danger appeared to be him running out of partners, with Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson departing cheaply, the latter to a remarkable reverse sliced pull.
Root ran hard in the 90s but after a couple of nervy moments on 98, he stepped back and across and guided Kumara through a vacant cover-point for his seventh Test ton at Lord’s – another record.
Root was last man out after shovelling Kumara to Mendis on the boundary and an early tea was taken.
