RIP the Joe Root reverse ramp? Not so fast, insisted Zak Crawley, as the England dressing room basked in the afterglow of an unbeaten century from the team’s premier batter and one that could prove pivotal in this series with India.
Looking to level matters at 2-2 and set up a decider in Dharamsala, day one here had Root eschew the shot that drew much of the ire in Rajkot last week. Perhaps more important was less sweeping on a surface of variable bounce, the 32-year-old’s unbeaten 106 turning 112 for five at lunch into 302 for seven at stumps.
