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Joe Root's brilliant century puts England in command of second Test
What is important is not so much that young people succeed - that is always going to be a matter of hit-and-miss - but that they aspire. Joe Root’s England side aspired to be different from their predecessors, who have usually failed wretchedly in Asia, and in so doing gave themselves every chance of winning the second Test and with it this series in Sri Lanka.
Trying to score quickly was completely the wrong strategy for England to adopt in the opening session of this series in Galle - they plummeted to 103 for five and almost gave the game away, when they should have batted steadily and long - but it was completely the right response to their tricky situation when they trailed by 46 runs on first innings scores here on a dust-bowl of a pitch.
Not since the Edgbaston Test of 2005, when Michael Vaughan’s team roared out of the blocks and stunned Australia, have England embraced such a daring approach, every man Jack of them - or, at any rate, every man except Jack Leach, the nightwatchman who was dismissed in the second over of day three. Thereafter it was visors down, lads, this is the game-plan, and tally-ho!
To Rory Burns goes as much credit as Root himself, because Burns set up England’s second innings by scoring 59 off only 66 balls in only his second Test, and thereby laid the base for Root’s 124 off 146 balls, his second fastest in terms of strike-rate and his second best in terms of value. Only Root’s 134 in the opening Ashes Test of 2015 at Cardiff can be ranked higher, because then the series had yet to be shaped (and England had been mauled 5-0 in the previous Ashes); here England were already 1-0 up, and they will go 2-0 up if they can defend a target of at least 279, perhaps a few more.
The sweep in its various forms was the means by which England subdued Sri Lanka’s spinners on a pitch designed for them. They played 81 sweeps in their second innings and scored 114 runs off them for the loss of seven wickets. Not a great return, on the surface, but this only shows how misleading statistics can be.
Burns with his sweeping, and Keaton Jennings with his reverse-sweeping, deflated Sri Lanka. The moral impact, the choreographic effect, which this strategy had on the home side had to be seen live. In the first few overs, after Leach’s dismissal, the Sri Lankans were clapping and urging each other on, buoyed by the prospect of levelling the series at 1-1.
Within the first hour, however, Burns and Jennings had broken up Sri Lanka’s game. Their stand-in captain Suranga Lakmal visibly lost control, and only had enthusiastic youngsters to turn to for counsel. Within the first hour there were two misfields which deflated the home side further: Malinda Pushpakumara turned a two into a four, Angelo Mathews a one into two, while England were up and humming.
The one mistake which England made in the implementation of this strategy was to let Ben Stokes bat at five, when Jos Buttler should have come in ahead of him. The one serious deficiency in Stokes’s game is his inability to manouevre spinners around - and who needs wrists, most of the time, when you have forearms like his? He wasted one of England’s two unsuccessful reviews as well - which Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid could have used later - when he missed a sweep at his second ball.
Seven of England’s batsmen fell to cross-batted shots: Leach, Burns, Stokes and Moeen to the sweep; Jennings, Root and Buttler to the reverse-sweep. But England had raced to 301 by the time the seventh of these wickets fell: QED. Had they played with a straight bat and stiff upper lip, as they normally have in Asia since Kipling’s time, they would have been surrounded by close-catchers oohing and aahing, and for all the help of DRS they would surely have sunk sooner rather than later with all hands.
As the day wore on, the number of sweeps diminished: there was less need to take the risk, as the fielders were so far-flung and gaps so widespread. Root, besides, is such a complete batsman he was able to play orthodox and unorthodox shots, in his crease and down the pitch, cross- and straight-batted. There was no limit to his inspiration, or to his perspiration in running as hard between wickets as the Sri Lankans have run softly and sedately.
It could have been a one-day international as England breezed along to 166 for four off 37 overs, and they averaged well above four runs an over through the day: or rather it could not have been an ODI because Root hit two sixes. Buttler supported him until he bottom-edged a reverse-sweep, while Moeen slog-swept his second ball for six before missing a conventional sweep, not bending his knees low enough.
Ben Foakes, being new to Test cricket, did not sweep until his 11th ball, and rarely thereafter because again there was no need. Sri Lanka were in effect down to three bowlers, one of whom - Akila Dananjaya - has been reported for a suspect action. It seems illogical that a bowler should be allowed to continue playing until he is tested (within 14 days of being reported) but those are the ICC rules.
Root had been penalised by the ICC with one demerit point for dissent earlier in this game. He won many more brownie points for batting, and for his overall strategy, which was one sweeping statement.
STUMPS: England 324/9, leading by 278
As expected, there will be no more play today due to the rain. England close with a lead of 278 and one wicket remaining. This match should reach its conclusion tomorrow - weather permitting.
Weather update
The rain hasn't affected this Test match too much, but this is a heavy storm now hitting Pallekele. The prediction is for "not much more play today".
Rain is on its way... and the players go off
There is a flash of lightning in the distance and the umpires decide it is time to go off. The light had already faded noticeably but the prospect of lightning nearing the stadium convinces the men in charge to take a break. 15 overs left in the day and England would like to bowl in increasingly tough batting conditions but it seems like the day's play may be over.
Today belongs to Joe Root, who built one of his finest Test innings earlier on to swing the match - and series - in England's favour. Sri Lanka still have a sniff, but they looked tired and pretty defeated out there as they trundled off the pitch.
OVER 75: ENG 324/9 (Foakes 51* Anderson 4*)
Perera comes on for Dananjaya, not before the umpires pause to discuss the light situation after a huge cloud moves over the stadium. "Get on with it!" shouts a member of the travelling support.
It's a tricky situation because Anderson won't want to get out cheaply, but he will want to bowl in this fading light, with 15 overs remaining today.
No runs off the first five balls, can they nick a single? No... but Foakes smacks it high over the outfield for six! And that brings up his fifty! What a knock!
OVER 74: ENG 318/9 (Foakes 45* Anderson 4*)
Foakes continues to hog the strike. Pushpakumara offering little threat, as has been the case for most of the day. Foakes takes a single, leaving Jimmy to face the final ball of the over.
HUGE lbw appeal as it darts in at Anderson! No interest for the umpire, I think it pitched outside leg? Ball tracking confirms as much. Anderson survives.
OVER 74: ENG 317/9 (Foakes 44* Anderson 4*)
More good running, they get back for two really well with lots of men in the deep. And then Foakes swivels and hooks through the gap for four, with so much behind that shot that the nearby fielder didn't have a chance. And he gets a single off the final ball. Very well played.
OVER 73: ENG 310/9 (Foakes 37* Anderson 4*)
Foakes sees out four balls, then takes a single off the fifth, leaving Anderson to face the final ball of the over. The fielders come in, the pressure is on, Anderson takes a look at the field, and he's not defending! He reverse sweeps, timing it perfectly and it races away for four. What a shot that is!
OVER 72: ENG 305/9 (Foakes 34* Anderson 0*)
Worrying times for England now.
WICKET! Rashid lbw b Dananjaya 2
A Foakes single gives Dananjaya the chance to bowl at Rashid, and he gets him! The ball keeps low and straight, Rashid backs deep into his crease and plays across the line. It's ugly and the umpire's finger goes straight up! Replays show there was an inside edge, Rashid looks like he knows it, but there are no reviews left for England to use (two were wasted trying to save Burns and Stokes). Dananjaya has his best ever figures. Fow 305/9
OVER 71: ENG 302/8 (Foakes 34* Rashid 1*)
Rashid shuts out Pushpakumara for a maiden.
OVER 70: ENG 302/8 (Foakes 34* Rashid 1*)
Adil deals with the hat-trick ball, pushing it to mid-on, but this match has swung massively in that last over. England will still be big favourites but two wickets in two balls give Sri Lanka hope of keeping the total they are chasing closer to 250 than 300.
WICKET! Curran b Dananjaya 0
Golden duck! Curran goes first ball! It pitches straight, and turns away from the left-hander and just brushes off stump - it is such a faint touch that they have to go to the third umpire to check it actually hit to nudge the bails off!
It's the first wicket of the day that isn't the result of a sweep. And Dananjaya is on a hat-trick! Fow 301/8
WICKET! Root lbw b Dananjaya 124
Root commits early to coming down the track and clips it over midwicket for four, and he brings up the 300. Then very next ball the sweep strikes again!
Root reverse sweeps, misses it and it hits him on the pad right in front of the stumps. Dickwella takes the catch in case there was a nick on the glove. Either way, England's captain goes. Fow 301/7
OVER 69: ENG 297/6 (Root 120* Foakes 34*)
The lead passes 250. The run rate has slowed in this session, but you'd expect England to push the lead past 300 before long. This match is there for the taking.
OVER 68: ENG 295/6 (Root 119* Foakes 33*)
Short and wide from Dananjaya, Root doesn't quite punish him sufficiently, only managing a single.
OVER 67: ENG 291/6 (Root 117* Foakes 31*)
Pushpakumara is doing a good job of pushing the run rate down. Again, just the one off him.
OVER 66: ENG 290/6 (Root 116* Foakes 31*)
Good running to push for three as Foakes nudges through midwicket and the fielder in the deep stops it on the rope. The Sri Lankan fielding hasn't been up to scratch and the two batsmen really want to push this target up at every opportunity by running hard between the wickets.
OVER 65: ENG 285/6 (Root 114* Foakes 28*)
Just the one single off Pushpakumara's next over.
OVER 64: ENG 284/6 (Root 113* Foakes 28*)
Dananjaya is back into the attack. His second ball is short, wide, and really poor. Root leans back and smacks it through the on side for four.
This is now the highest score by an England captain in Sri Lanka.
A tepid lbw shout against Foakes from the final ball. Nothing doing.
OVER 63: ENG 279/6 (Root 108* Foakes 28*)
Cries of catch as Foakes spoons one up in the air but it lands short of the man at deep midwicket.
OVER 62: ENG 276/6 (Root 106* Foakes 27*)
The pace of Lakmal continues. Still not really a threat, though. Foakes clips fine off his toes for four.
Our man Nick Hoult reckons this might be Root's best innings yet.
15th Test hundred for Root and this must be top of the list. Outstanding performance after lunch. Taking England to series winning lead
— Nick Hoult (@NHoultCricket) November 16, 2018
The official England account seems to agree.
The best of @root66's 1️⃣5️⃣ Test centuries? ��
Scorecard: https://t.co/miE4yRUwKk#SLvENGpic.twitter.com/Mys9xWkmYW— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 16, 2018
OVER 61: ENG 269/6 (Root 104* Foakes 22*)
Pushpakumara again, England pushing hard between the wickets for every run. The 50 partnership comes up.
OVER 60: ENG 264/6 (Root 103* Foakes 19*)
Decent enough from Lakmal after veering too wide for that ball from which Root made his century. Little threat of a wicket, though.
ROOOOOOOOOT!
He's done it! Root pushes past second slip and it races away for four for his century. You can tell how much that means to him by that celebration, and the noise from the travelling fans suggest they enjoyed it, too.
Right then
The players are back out. First up: can Root make his century, having been stuck in the 90s since 8.45am UK time? Secondly, what target can England set Sri Lanka? Anything towards 300 and you'd say the game had swung England's way.
Tea: England 259/6, leading by 213
No doubt about it, that was England's session. They lost Buttler just when he was starting to look settled and Moeen came and went too quickly, but this partnership with Foakes has been really useful.
Joe Root has built a commanding innings and deserves to make it to his century, but he has been stuck in the nervous 90s since hitting a six in the 53rd over, and will be hugely frustrated he hasn't got to three figures by tea.
That said, he'll be happy with the overall performance. This Test match is finely poised going into the third day's final session.
OVER 59: ENG 259/6 (Root 98* Foakes 19*)
Another Root reverse sweep and another single. He loses the strike and remains in the mid-90s. A single for Foakes gives the strike back to Root, but the end of the session is looming. He comes charging down the pitch and smacks one towards the rope, but a man in the deep comes flying around and saves the boundary. Root takes another single and he goes in at tea on 98.
OVER 58: ENG 254/6 (Root 94* Foakes 18*)
Root takes a single, he edges towards three figures, but it has taken him 22 minutes to move from 91 to 94. The introduction of Lakmal has slowed the runs down as the batsmen get used to facing pace.
OVER 57: ENG 253/6 (Root 93* Foakes 18*)
Foakes sweeps and top edges high in the air, but it lands He has got very lucky there.
Root has been stuck in the early 90s for a while now. Patience is key here.
Joe Root is playing a masterclass. Wonderful exhibition going on of how to play spin in difficult conditions. #SLvENG
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) November 16, 2018
The astonishing rise of the reverse sweep
Bumble just mentioned on comms about the idea of how a reverse-sweep used to be "an event" in Tests, and it's true; the rise of the shot has happened remarkably quickly. Just 24 reverse-sweeps played in 2006 - there have already been ten times that number in 2018. #SLvENGpic.twitter.com/a2zUFKvDTB
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) November 16, 2018
OVER 56: ENG 251/6 (Root 93* Foakes 16*)
Lakmal brings himself on, introducing pace to the attack for the first time this innings. Root shuts him out well, playing at every ball.
Root has only left two balls since lunch (both went down the leg-side) and has primarily attacked a long way out of his crease. #SLvEngpic.twitter.com/6a9HA44RvZ
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) November 16, 2018
OVER 55: ENG 250/6 (Root 93* Foakes 15*)
Perera changes to around the wicket for Root, and nearly traps him first ball, but the height saves him, and an unmoved umpire Erasmus gets it right.
A flurry of singles brings up the 250 for England.
OVER 54: ENG 247/6 (Root 92* Foakes 13*)
Root sweeps, but he has misjudged this one, and only just gets a glove on the ball to prevent the lbw. He pushes away for a single and England's lead is 200.
OVER 53: ENG 244/6 (Root 91* Foakes 11*)
Here we go Rooty! He goes charging down the pitch and powers back over Dananjaya's head for six, and he is into the 90s.
And they look like they might be the nervous 90s already - Root sweeps and misses, it comes up off a pad and Dickwella takes the catch. There's an appeal for a catch but umpire Erasmus says no - fortunately for England, as they are out of reviews.
OVER 52: ENG 236/6 (Root 84* Foakes 10*)
Half an hour until tea. Root moves to 84, and he'll want to make his century before the break.
Since playing the West Indies in Birmingham in August 2017, Root has scored only one Test century - versus India at the Oval in September of this year. In that time, he has made 11 fifties. Nervous times, these.
OVER 51: ENG 233/6 (Root 82* Foakes 9*)
Five off Dananjaya's next over. The lead is up to 187.
OVER 50: ENG 228/6 (Root 80* Foakes 6*)
50 overs done, England will probably be happy with how this is going after the two wickets that fell at the end of the first session. A couple of singles keep things ticking over.
OVER 49: ENG 226/6 (Root 79* Foakes 5*)
38 per cent of England's scoring shots have come from sweeps in this innings, and that's before Foakes takes the lead of his captain with a lovely sweep for four. Then another, not quite so well timed, from which he takes a single.
OVER 48: ENG 220/6 (Root 78* Foakes 0*)
Sri Lanka bring men in to surround Foakes, who responds well with some mature defensive play.
OVER 47: ENG 219/6 (Root 77* Foakes 0*)
Foakes is the new man in, and he sees out the over, not all that convincingly, missing one that keeps low.
WICKET! Ali lbw b Dananjaya 10
It's a concerning familiar dismissal for England, Moeen sweeps, misses and is trapped leg before. No reviews left so he has to go. Fow 219/6
OVER 46: ENG 218/5 (Root 76* Ali 10*)
Perera again. Root finds the gap between midwicket and long-on, and it flies over the rope at about head height for six. Then he pushes one into the covers and they race back for two runs. Wonderful stuff.
OVER 45: ENG 208/5 (Root 67* Ali 9*)
What a lovely shot from Root, using his feet to skip to the pitch of the ball and drive straight down the ground. We all know about his conversion rate, so whisper it, but Root is looking pretty good out there, isn't he?
OVER 44: ENG 202/5 (Root 62* Ali 8*)
Root skips down the track and clips it square for a single to bring up England's 200.
England being back on a right-left handed combination is slowing Sri Lanka's bowling down a little, mostly because they are picking up singles so easily. It's proving difficult to put pressure on the new batsman. They appeal optimistically for lbw against Ali, but it's clearly going down leg.
OVER 43: ENG 199/5 (Root 60* Ali 7*)
Moeen faces his first ball, he leaves it well, and then comes forward and swats over deep midwicket for six! His second ball! Then England race through for a single that really didn't feel necessary, Root makes his ground in the end but there's no point in those risks, surely.
OVER 42: ENG 190/5 (Root 58* Ali 0*)
Joe Root is more than happy to carry on reverse sweeping, and does so here for two, a four and a single.
OVER 41: ENG 183/5 (Root 51* Ali 0*)
Moeen Ali is the next man in.
WICKET! Buttler b Dananjaya 34
England are scoring very, very quickly - around five an over this session, and Sri Lanka are in danger of letting the game race away from them. Root is looking comfortable and the lead is creeping up, but then Buttler plays a really poor shot, reverse sweeping a slower, shorter ball and drags onto his own stumps. He looks disappointed in himself and so he might. A real shame. Fow 183/5
OVER 40: ENG 179/4 (Root 50* Buttler 31*)
Pushpakumara bowls. Another ball keeps very low, but replays show it hit the top of Root's bat as he swept. It goes through the keeper's legs and almost hits the helmet on the floor behind him.
Root then cuts away beautifully for four, and then pushes backward of square for three more, the ball stopped on the rope by some good work from Lakmal that takes him to his 50. A fine innings so far but now the age old question: can he convert?
OVER 39: ENG 168/4 (Root 41* Buttler 29*)
Dananjaya comes back into the attack. Root drives down the ground but Dananjaya does well to stop it, before he tickles one fine that is kept to a single.
The change of field for Buttler is telling, this is where Sri Lanka sense an opportunity. Buttler does what Root did, and pushes off his pads for a single.
OVER 38: ENG 166/4 (Root 40* Buttler 28*)
Good, solid defence from Buttler. He is growing in confidence.
OVER 37: ENG 165/4 (Root 39* Buttler 28*)
Buttler reverse sweeps a single and these two have a 50 partnership from just 59 balls. It's not exactly typical Test match batting, but with England's lead up to 119, I suppose there's no point arguing with it. Buttler smacks a short wide ball through the covers for four.
OVER 36: ENG 156/4 (Root 37* Buttler 21*)
Pushpakumara bowls by far the least eventful over of this second session. It's been all action so far. Buttler even plays a straight bat deep in his crease to defend impressively.
OVER 35: ENG 154/4 (Root 36* Buttler 20*)
Buttler comes down the pitch again and this time just pads it away for a leg bye.
OVER 34: ENG 151/4 (Root 35* Buttler 19*)
A single for Root takes England's lead to 100. Buttler is back on strike and Sri Lanka sense blood, Buttler responds with the reverse sweep. Good call, Jos.
Root then sweeps the next ball for four, beautifully timed, and England's 150 is up.
OVER 33: ENG 145/4 (Root 30* Buttler 18*)
Buttler tries a sweep - his first innings tactic that he had seemed to have dropped for this innings - but misses completely and is hit on the pad right in line. Huge appeal, umpire Erasmus shakes his head, and there's no Sri Lankan review. Ball tracking shows it was the right decision - JUST - and Buttler survives.
He then changes tack to start coming down the pitch again, which works, but then he goes back in his crease and plays across the line of the ball, misses it, and it just misses the stumps. Dodgy, dodgy stuff.
OVER 32: ENG 140/4 (Root 28* Buttler 17*)
Pushpakumara carries on from the other end, one keeps horribly low and does not turn at all, deceiving both batsman Jos and Dickwella behind the stumps. England race through for two byes.
OVER 31: ENG 137/4 (Root 27* Buttler 17*)
Buttler continues where he left off, coming down the track to attack as his form of defence, and he clips one to midwicket where Mendis dives to his left and gets a hand on it but it's come at him so, so quick - calling that even a half-chance feels unfair!
Buttler then swings and misses at the final ball of the over, totally done by Perera's spin, and it misses the bails by an inch and Dickwella can't take it and stump him. Buttler isn't going to survive long playing like this!
Here we go then
It's Root and Buttler out there, England lead by 85. What will the second session bring?
Two late wickets get England wobbling
Can England recover after wasting two reviews late on in that first session in losing Rory Burns and Ben Stokes? It's up to the captain-vice captain combo of Joe Root and Jos Buttler, and they'll be back out on the field before long.
Lunch: England 131/4
Nick Hoult reports from Kandy
England lost four wickets but are 85 ahead at 131-4 in their second innings after another absorbing morning in Kandy.
Rory Burns celebrated his first Test fifty and led England’s charge as they took the attack to Sri Lanka in an attempt to build a match-winning total.
It was very frenetic from England with runs flowing at more than 4 an over for most of the morning as their batsmen used the sweep as their main weapon. Sri Lanka spread the field leaving singles on offer in an attempt to stem the flow of boundaries. Their bowlers lacked consistency and the series is there for the taking today for England if they can keep their heads but they lost one wicket too many in the morning session to feel they are in charge.
Burns hit seven fours in his 66 ball innings and was positive in defence and attack, fitting the bill of the England opener Trevor Bayliss has spent four years looking to find. He survived an LBW review on 39 and swept England into the lead with two consecutive fours as they knocked off the 46-run deficit with just the loss of nightwatchman opener Jack Leach, out (you guessed it) sweeping.
Keaton Jennings plays the reverse sweep as a defensive shot. He described it as his “get out jail” stroke last week in Galle and was down on his haunches doing it again this morning. He has played 50 reverse sweeps in his Test career, bringing him 77 runs but it does carry risk. He tried to reverse Akila Dananjaya from outside leg stump, was cramped for room and caught at slip off glove and body.
Burns drilled another sweep for his fifty off 61 balls. He had run hard too for his singles putting constant pressure on the bowlers. But Burns’s dismissal started a poor 20 minutes for England. Burns missed a sweep, was lbw and Joe Root at the other end allowed him to review a stone dead decision.
Root could not say no to Ben Stokes soon after when he also missed a lap sweep and was hit in front. The review was burned leaving England with no more DRS appeals. Root batted as if he had washed down a bag of Haribo with a triple espresso such was his desire to take on the bowlers. England can’t keep relying on the lower order to dig them out of the mire. They are still in control but the pitch is hard to read and they do not have this one in the bag just yet.
