India vs England: Stokes departs, Root completes a historic double-ton
England captain Joe Root went on to slam a historic double-century in Test cricket, second in less than a month. He accomplished the feat in the second session on Day 2 of the ongoing Chennai Test. Earlier in the session, all-rounder Ben Stokes fell short of completing his 11th Test ton. Off-spinner Shahbaz Nadeem dismissed him, giving India a crucial breakthrough. Here is more.
How did the session pan out?
England resumed on 355/3 from the 119th over in the post-lunch session. While Root continued with his carnage, India got rid of Stokes soon after. The duo put the visitors in the driving seat by adding 124 runs together. After Stokes departed, Root took England past 400, smashing a record-breaking double-century. At the stroke of tea, England finished on 454/4.
Root smashes his fifth double-ton
England skipper Root is undergoing a purple patch in the longest format. After scoring an astonishing 228 against Sri Lanka, Root smashed a fifth double-century in Test cricket. Root has become the second Englishman with five double centuries, emulating Alastair Cook's feat. Wally Hammond leads the tally for England (7). Notably, Root is the first-ever player to score a double-hundred in Test number 100.
Highest individual score for an England captain in India
Root now has the highest individual score for an England captain in India. Overall, he is only behind former English captain Graham Gooch, who scored 333 against India at the Lord's Cricket Ground in 1990.
Stokes falls short of a Test ton
Earlier, all-rounder Stokes was devoid of his Test ton as he played a rash stroke off Nadeem. Despite playing his first Test after a long break, Stokes continued with his sublime run in the longest format. During his 82-run knock, Stokes completed 1,000 runs against India in international cricket. He now has 1,026 runs from 30 internationals against them at an average of 31.09.
