Joe Root is rather good

Since it was the first time in 15 years that England had played in a test match on terrestrial TV, Joe Root kindly decided that it would be a nice time to produce one of the best overseas innings of the last few years.

Root swept, reverse-swept and switch-hit his way to a virtually flawless 20th test match century. Root is easily the pre-eminent player of spin amongst batters outside the sub continent teams and he was ably supported by the obdurate and much improved Dom Sibley.

As with his two masterful innings in Sri Lanka, Root unfurled his full repertoire of classy dissection, his bat a scalpel to Kohli’s field placings.

The most striking thing about Root when he is in form is how easy everything looks. His height allows him to get forward to smother spin and his supreme reactions allow him to play the ball off the stumps as late as possible.

Root sweeps as well as anyone has ever done, and as highlighted on commentary, he is so effective because he sweeps based on line rather than length. During the innings there were instances of him using his long frame to meet more good-length deliveries on the full, rolling his wrists and middling the ball along the carpet.

Other times, with the ball a little shorter, he would get down and play a more upright sweep-pull which ended up in the boundary rope at a similar lick.

All of the signature back-foot shots were in attendance also, if the sweep shot is Root’s most useful tool against the spinning ball, the back foot punch through anywhere between point and cover is his back foot muse. It must be frustrating as a world class fast bowler to bowl a perfectly good, length delivery and watch it be sent fizzing through the off-side with grinning impunity.

You could argue that India’s back-up spinners aren’t necessarily up to Ravi Jadeja’s standard and you wouldn’t be far off but today’s performance was more indicative of the disruptive presence that Root holds at the crease. Going forwards and back with equal flourish, it is impossible to tie him down when in form.

Every Indian bowler was on the receiving end of at least one perfectly executed Root trademark. In a year where England need him most, their captain is leading from the front and looks back to his imperious and untouchable best.