The Prague Post - Root climbs to second on all-time Test list as England dominate India

Ben Stokes' men, 2-1 up in the five-match series, were 433-4 at tea on the third day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, 75 runs ahead of the toiling tourists.

The imperious Root, who had just overtaken retired Australia great Ricky Ponting in the run-scoring charts, was 121 not out, with Stokes unbeaten on 36.

Earlier, Ollie Pope (71) put on 144 for the third wicket with Root before he was dismissed by Washington Sundar, who also removed Harry Brook cheaply to give India renewed hope.

But skipper Stokes ensured England regained the initiative, celebrating at the non-striker's end as Root reached 13,379 runs with a single behind point, moving one ahead of Ponting's figure.

"Congratulations, Joe Root. Magnificent, second on the table," Ponting said on Sky Sports.

England earlier resumed on 225-2 following a blistering opening partnership of 166 in 32 overs between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett on day two, with Pope 20 not out and Root on 11.

India's pacemen had too often been wayward on Thursday and Jasprit Bumrah saw his first ball Friday drift down the legside to be clipped away for four by Root in elegant fashion.

Root then uppercut Mohammed Siraj over the slips for another boundary.

On 21, the former England skipper walked a long away across his stumps only to miss an intended glance off Siraj.

India reviewed for lbw after Ahsan Raza ruled in Root's favour but replays upheld the Pakistani umpire's decision, indicating the ball would have missed leg stump.

There was another scare when Root, on 22, was nearly run out but Ravindra Jadeja's shy at the stump missed.

Root then leapfrogged India's Rahul Dravid and South Africa's Jacques Kallis into third place in Test cricket's list of run-scorers.

Pope, who drove Siraj for a superb four between cover and mid-off, completed a 93-ball fifty before Root followed him to that landmark in 99 balls.

Spin, however, eventually paid dividends for India where pace had failed.

Pope had added just one run to his lunchtime score of 70 when, beaten by the drift from off-spinner Sundar, he edged a flicked front-foot drive to KL Rahul at slip.

England were soon 349-4 when Brook, on three, was stumped by Dhruv Jurel, deputising for injured India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

Root reached his century in 178 balls with a leg glance for four off debutant paceman Anshul Kamboj.

His 38th Test century drew him level with Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara in fourth place on the list of most hundreds in a Test career.

H.Dolezal--TPP