- First Test, day four: England 183 & 303; India 278 & 52-1
- India need 157 more runs with nine wickets in hand
The turmoil of the past few weeks could easily have dampened Joe Root’s natural spark but on a gripping fourth day in Nottingham, one that saw the pendulum swing throughout and finished with India in the ascendancy, the England captain delivered his 21st Test century and one that must rank among the finest of his career.
As Root punched India’s Shardul Thakur down the ground for four shortly after tea, the ball cruising across the green outfield, he didn’t even wait for it to cross the rope. Instead the 30-year-old could be seen haring off in celebration of his first Test hundred on home soil in nearly three years and his fourth in what is proving a bumper 2021.
