Sri Lanka fight after Root makes England history

Joe Root completed a masterful double century to keep England in control of the first Test against Sri Lanka, but the hosts responded with some belated batting resolve of their own.

Captain Root had ended day one on 66, day two on 168 and marched onwards to 228 on the third morning before he was last man down in the tourists' 421 all out.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 135 in their first innings with a string of sorry dismissals, and any repeat would have brought an early end to proceedings.

Instead, the hosts were up for the fight, with Lahiru Thirimanne's 76 not out leading them to a vastly-improved 2-156 at stumps.

Earlier, Root had secured his fourth double hundred at Test level with utter clarity and mild inevitability over the course of his near eight-hour occupation.

En route to his 228, he picked up his 8,000th Test run, the seventh Englishman to do so and the second quickest, having chalked up the feat in his 178th innings – two more than Kevin Pietersen.

His average of 49.09 is the best of the seven English players to score 8,000 runs.

Root also became the only English captain to score a double century in an away Test twice, his 228 here following his 226 against New Zealand in Hamilton in 2019.

Only Graeme Smith (four) and Stephen Fleming (three) are the only Test captains to have more double centuries away from home.

By the time Root vacated the crease just before lunch, optimistically trying to clear a raft of boundary riders after an innings built around precise sweeps, his side's advantage had swelled to a lofty 286.

Sri Lanka's resistance was then helped by both England spinners, Dom Bess and Jack Leach, offering insufficient threat as they managed one wicket between them in 33 overs while failing to stall the run rate. 

Leach eventually struck in his 20th over, snaring Kusal Mendis' outside edge, but more of the same is required on Sunday.

With Moeen Ali out of quarantine 13 days after testing positive for COVID19, there is a sliver of new pressure on the spinners over the next two days, though it would be a big ask for the allrounder to be match ready in time for the second Test on Friday.

England's other wicket saw Sam Curran remove Kusal Perera with an unintentional half-tracker, though the left-armer's luck deserted him when Dom Sibley dropped Thirimanne on 51.