Joe Root delivered yet another masterclass with the bat as he notched up his 38th Test century, powering England to 433 for four at tea on Day 3 of the fourth Test against India. With Root’s unbeaten 121 and an unbroken 84-run partnership with captain Ben Stokes (36*), England secured a 75-run first-innings lead and tightened their grip on the match.

Resuming on 225 for two in the morning, Root and Ollie Pope picked up from where they left off, showing complete command over the Indian attack. The pair added 107 runs in a wicketless first session, taking England to 332 for two at lunch. The Indian bowlers, inconsistent and lacking intensity, allowed both batsmen to score freely, with Jasprit Bumrah and company guilty of bowling too many deliveries on the pads or short of a length.

Bumrah’s opening delivery of the day, a full ball on the pads, was flicked for four by Root, a sign of things to come. Neither Bumrah nor Siraj managed to build sustained pressure, and debutant Anshul Kamboj remained ineffective, although he did create a chance early on that Dhruv Jurel, standing behind the stumps, failed to grab when Pope was on 48.