Root comes up trumps with a presidential Test century

The Yorkshireman scored a hundred – words that felt reassuringly timeless in a rapidly changing global climate.

Hereabouts, thoughts drifted idly as to how the cricket-loving Major on Fawlty Towers might have reacted to the day’s developments.

“Papers arrived, Fawlty?”

“Er, yes Major. I’ve just been reading about how those silly Americans have voted for Trump.”

“Have they? Oh, but look here, Fawlty (turning straight to the sports pages), Root made a hundred!”

“Did he? Did he really, Major? Well, how absolutely spiffing.”

Andrew Gale, the Yorkshire captain, certainly had his priorities in order.

“Who cares about Trump?” he tweeted.

“Rooty is different gravy… #worldclass.”

While Trump prepared to take root in the White House, Root was trumping the Indian bowlers, grinding them down with skill and stamina.

He made 124 as England scored 311-4 on the opening day of the five-match series in Rajkot, an innings ended when he was controversially adjudged caught-and-bowled by Umesh Yadav, who seemingly botched a celebratory juggle.

Opinion was divided as to whether Yadav had the ball under control before it fell to earth, much like opinion was divided over Trump and his political rival, Hillary Clinton.

Root certainly had his misgivings as he reflected: “It’s out. There’s no point arguing it. I was walking off anyway. Let’s leave it at that.”

Better to concentrate on the quality of Root’s 11th Test hundred, which underpinned a fine day for England to which Moeen Ali contributed an unbeaten 99.

Indeed, a wagon wheel of Root’s innings was a study in symmetry, with shots all around the ground after England won an important toss on a typical Indian pitch, one where there were runs to be had once a batsman got in.

Scoring big first innings runs has been a problem for England, and there was a hint of a hangover from the Bangladesh series as they lost three wickets in the first session.

Haseeb Hameed looked assured on debut before falling lbw to Ravichandran Ashwin, who then had Ben Duckett caught at slip.

Alastair Cook, leading England for a record 55th time in Tests, also fell cheaply, lbw to Ashwin’s spin colleague Ravindra Jadeja, with replays showing that young Hameed got it wrong when he advised his captain not to review the decision on DRS.

At 102-3, the day was in the balance at lunch, but Root and Ali played splendidly in a fourth-wicket stand of 179 compiled at not far short of four an over.

They were particularly aggressive in the period just prior to Root’s dismissal after tea, which threatened a tricky end to the day for England that never came.

Root, indeed, seemed more disappointed with the straight drive that he played to get out rather than the fact that he was given out, which betrayed his dissatisfaction that he did not make a so-called “daddy hundred”.

That he by no means believed that his work was finished on reaching three figures was clear in his relatively muted celebration, which began with a quiet, understated removal of the helmet and a soft peck of its three lions before the obligatory air punch and salute to an appreciative dressing room.

During the course of his innings, Root became the second man in world cricket this year to pass 1,000 Test runs, along with his Yorkshire team-mate Jonny Bairstow.

Bairstow’s present position of No 7 in the batting order feels somewhat unsatisfactory, but no-one could deny that England have firepower all the way down, which will be essential to building on yesterday’s efforts during the rest of the series.

It is one of sport’s oldest cliches that “a good start is vital”, but Root certainly appears to have taken that maxim on board.

Since his 2014 recall, he has made successive scores in the first innings of Test series of 200 not out, 154 not out, 83, 98, 134, 85, 24, 0, 48, 40 and now 124.

He clearly believes in making a statement.

That is what he did yesterday on a personal level and what England did collectively, laying the platform for a total that they will hope to extend to 450 and beyond.

It was a day that Root will never forget and one that will always be remembered for obvious reasons.

Small wonder that the Indian players left the field at the close of play looking as stumped as Hillary Clinton’s supporters.