Joe Root Achieves Multiple Milestones at Lord's

Joe Root scored an unbeaten 99 on the opening day of the third Test against India at Lord’s, steering England to 251-4 after a cautious shift from their usual attacking style. Root became the first player to reach 3000 Test runs against India, the fourth to surpass 4000 international runs against them, and the fifth player—and first Englishman—to achieve over 7000 Test runs in a single country. He also notched his 67th Test half-century, equaling Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting, and closed in on Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most 50+ Test scores. Nitish Kumar Reddy and the returning Jasprit Bumrah led disciplined Indian bowling, removing both openers as England adopted a traditional approach. Ollie Pope contributed 44 and Ben Stokes remained unbeaten on 39, despite a late injury scare. Injuries to India’s Rishabh Pant and the tense match situation set the stage for an intriguing contest.