Day 4 of the fifth Test at The Oval was all about Joe Root scoring his 39th Test on. It was his third in the series and his 13th overall against India. He ended the series with 537 runs in the series.
Root became the second-highest run-getter in the series with 537 runs in nine innings at an average of 67.12. He was almost unshakeable and stood as the rock between India and England in the series.
On day 4 at The Oval, he had his moment to pay tribute to the late Graham Thorpe, who is one of the legends of English cricket. After scoring his 39th Test ton, he paid a tribute to the late cricketer. He wore the headband, very much in the manner Thorpe used to wear it during his playing days with England and pointed towards the heavens to acknowledge his contribution in the batter’s career.
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Watch - Joe Root's Emotional Tribute To Late Graham Thorpe
Thorpe played a big part in shaping up Joe Root’s career in his initial days and worked very closely with the former England captain. Thorpe also worked closely with Root and helped him improve his batting technique as well. Notably, Thorpe played a big part in Root’s call-up in the national team as well.
Root and Harry Brook (111 runs off 98 balls) added a 195-run stand that helped the hosts make a comeback into the contest after losing two early wickets in the first session. Root scored his 39th Test ton and is now only behind Ricky Ponting (41), Jacques Kallis (45) and Sachin Tendulkar (51) in the list of most centuries in Test cricket.
England 35 Runs Short Of Series Win
While Brook was dismissed just before the tea, Root and Jacob Bethell’s dismissals after the tea break helped India make a comeback into the contest. Rain washed away the final hour on day 4, forcing the game to move into day 5 with the side 35 runs short and India needing four wickets to level the series.
Also Read: England vs India 5th Test: Jaiswal’s Century, Akash Deep’s Fifty Set Up Big Lead on Day 3
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