(Video) Superlative Joe pummels India into submission

There’s not a shred of doubt about the fact that Joe Root is seeing the ball like a football. He seems like an immovable object at the crease, piling on the runs for fun. The English skipper brought about a fabulous hundred – his third of the series – at his home ground while striking at a nimble rate of 80. Root shared a rock-solid 139-run stand with Dawid Malan to pin India on the mat and corner what looks to be a permanent advantage in the third Test.

And well, just for the record, no Englishman has scored more hundreds in a calendar year than Root’s sweet six in 2021.