Jonny Bairstow praises Joe Root after his latest century

Jonny Bairstow was at a loss for words when asked to assess Joe Root's significance to England following his latest stunning century at Lord's. On day three of the second against India, Captain Root struck 180 not out, maintaining his extraordinary run of runs that has bolstered the squad, often single-handedly, in 2021.

Since the beginning of the year, he has reached three figures five times, averaging 69.11 along the road. To do so while carrying all of the responsibilities of captaincy, not to mention the added pressure of being the team's only consistent run-scorer, just adds to his recent accomplishments. Root's efforts boosted England to 391 all out after nearly nine hours at the crease, giving them a 27-run lead that seemed unachievable following the opening day of the battle.