England in control

England skipper Joe Root could not have asked for a better start to their series in India. A dominant start and of course if he keeps the stride, the first test could well be theirs (“England need 600-700 vs India to be in driver’s seat: Ton-up Root,” Feb. 6, Gulf Today).

It is without doubt a moment to remember for ton-up Root considering that he made his Test debut in India in 2012.

On Friday, the England captain who marked his 100th Test cap with a century said it was ‘very special’. Yes, it should be because apart from being his third successive it was his 20th Test ton. And the way he cracked it, he could well cross the double century mark as play progresses.

The Indian team on the other hand is also in high spirits after their unbelievable victory at Gabba. Though there are a few tweeks in the side, we can expect the Men in Blue to carry the tempo of the Australian success in this home series too.

Of course there will be a lot of pressure on skipper Virat Kohli who floundered in the recently concluded Test series in Australia. He will need to come good. More importantly he will have to gel with the team as well, if not better than Ajinkya Rahane.

Root has set a difficult target for Kohli. The series may well end up as a battle between the two captains.

Pratek Sharma — By email