England vs India, 4th Test – Day 3: Root Rises, India Regresses

By Shah Faisal England began the third day at Old Trafford with a clear mission: to erase India’s first-innings total of 358 and build a lead strong enough to seize control of the Test match and, thus, the series. They started the day at 225 for 2. What followed was a masterclass in control and accumulation, led by Root, who turned a patient start into yet another historic innings, while India wilted under pressure, both mentally and physically. By stumps, England had powered their way to 544, a commanding lead of 186 runs, and with Ben Stokes still unbeaten on 77, the advantage looked almost insurmountable. But this day belonged, unequivocally, to Joe Root. From the moment he resumed in the morning, Root was all poise and rhythm. He overtook Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis in the all-time Test run-scorers list, moving into third place early in the day. But he was just getting started. With a flick for a single, he passed Ricky Ponting to climb to second on the list — only the great Sachin Tendulkar remains