AP, Birmingham :
Joe Root and Alastair Cook marked England’s first foray into day-night test cricket with centuries, leading the home team to 348-3 against the West Indies on Day 1 of the series-opener on Thursday.
The captain and former captain eased England’s concerns over how they would deal with the challenge of batting against the pink ball with a 248-run partnership for the third wicket.
Root made 136 and Cook was not out on 153 at stumps, which were called just after 9.30 p.m. at a flood-lit Edgbaston. Their stand overcame some trying early times in the first day-night test in England, and first involving England, which was 39-2 in the eighth over when the pair came together.
But helped by some wayward bowling by the West Indian attack, Root and Cook negotiated the pink ball with ease. Root hit 22 fours, collecting 88 of his runs in boundaries. Cook was equally adept at dispatching the regular flow of bad balls to the boundary with 92 of his runs coming from 23 fours.
On his way to his 13th test century, Root also became only the sixth man to score a half-century in 11 consecutive tests. AB de Villiers holds the outright record with half-centuries in 12 straight tests.
Joe Root and Alastair Cook marked England’s first foray into day-night test cricket with centuries, leading the home team to 348-3 against the West Indies on Day 1 of the series-opener on Thursday.
The captain and former captain eased England’s concerns over how they would deal with the challenge of batting against the pink ball with a 248-run partnership for the third wicket.
Root made 136 and Cook was not out on 153 at stumps, which were called just after 9.30 p.m. at a flood-lit Edgbaston. Their stand overcame some trying early times in the first day-night test in England, and first involving England, which was 39-2 in the eighth over when the pair came together.
But helped by some wayward bowling by the West Indian attack, Root and Cook negotiated the pink ball with ease. Root hit 22 fours, collecting 88 of his runs in boundaries. Cook was equally adept at dispatching the regular flow of bad balls to the boundary with 92 of his runs coming from 23 fours.
On his way to his 13th test century, Root also became only the sixth man to score a half-century in 11 consecutive tests. AB de Villiers holds the outright record with half-centuries in 12 straight tests.
