Root on cusp in hard-fought battle at Lords

JOE ROOT was left unbeaten on 99 as England showed their backbone on a hard-fought first day of the third Rothesay Test against India at Lords.

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Root has scored seven centuries at the home of cricket, more than any other batter to have played the game, and was one short of racking up an eighth as England knuckled down to 251 for four - a rare example of Bazball with brakes.

He would surely have got there before the close had it not been for a bizarre break in play late on, a swarm of ladybirds interrupting proceedings and costing Root an extra over to get over the line.