First Time in a Decade: India Create Unwanted Record at Old Trafford

In the ongoing 4th Test match between India and England at Old Trafford, Manchester, the hosts have dominated the game with their batting. Known as one of the best batting sides in the world, the Three Lions have shown why it's so difficult to beat them on their own home ground. When India were forced to bat, captain Shubman Gill said that ‘it’s a good toss to lose' because he was confused about taking the decision. Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahut, Rishabh Pant, and Shardul Thakur played an outstanding knock, taking the scorecard to 358.

The score looked fine when the English bowlers came out to bat. Their job was to complete the trail and take the lead. While most of the Indian fans would have thought that Indian bowlers would probably bowl the Englishmen out, the tables turned. English openers stitched a partnership of 166 runs. Zak Crawler scored 84 runs off 113 balls and was the first one to get dismissed. His partner, Ben Duckett, missed a well-deserved century by just six runs. That would have hurt. The India record in Manchester remains a challenge for the cricket team.

What is Indian Cricket Team 500 Runs Unwanted Record?

England's Joe Root is one of the best and most dangerous batters in Test cricket, especially on home turf. He, along with Ollie Pope, formed a partnership of 144 runs, contributing to the Indian cricket team 500-run pressure as England crossed the milestone with ease. Well, this is the first time in 10 years, the Indian cricket team 500 runs conceded in an overseas Test innings. After a disappointing performance by the Indian bowlers, this record proves that a lot is going on in the team. India record in Manchester shows they have never won a Test match, and conceding 500 runs made it tougher. The India 500 plus score given up in Manchester showed weak bowling.

The last time this happened was in January 2015 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney, when Australia declared on 572/7, after batting first. David Warner and captain Steve Smith slammed centuries against the Indian bowlers, putting up a mammoth total on the board. Despite Mohammed Shami's fifer, India couldn't do much in the game. But the visitors did their best to avoid the match, and it ended in a draw.

Joe Root Becomes the Second-Highest Run-Scorer in Test cricket

England's most consistent and best No. 4 batter, Joe Root, slammed his 38th century in Test cricket. This was the second in the series so far. While he started his series on a low note, he has been brilliant in the last couple of games. Now, he is the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, sitting right below Sachin Tendulkar. He has gone past Alastair Cook and three other batters. Root went past Kallis and Ponting when he reached fifty for the 104th time in Tests, second only to Tendulkar's 119. He also became the first batter to score more than 1,000 Test runs at Old Trafford.

Root went on to score 150 runs off 248 balls in the match, including 14 boundaries. It was a brilliant knock from the batter who stayed calm and composed, trying to stitch partnerships with players. Root is never in a hurry, and maybe that's why he has been able to perform so well in red-ball cricket. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting congratulated him on his wonderful knock. "Congratulations, Joe Root. Magnificent," Ponting said. "Second on the table, 120 not out. This crowd at the ground, this very knowledgeable crowd here at Old Trafford, stands as one… Just the one more to go now. About 2,500 runs behind [Tendulkar], but the way that his career has gone over the last four or five years, there's absolutely no reason why not. He's been a wonderful player through those 157 Test matches. He's been such a consistent player, hasn't he? You don't really remember a long period of time where he's had a lean run."