India, July 11 -- On a day marred by England's uncharacteristic go-slow approach at the On a day marked by England's unusually cautious approach at Lord's against India in the third Test, Joe Root stood tall with a valiant knock. The former England captain-who had been on a century spree last year, inching closer to Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record-looked set for his first Test ton since December. But Root was left stranded on 99 as England ended Day 1 on 251 for four.

Root crafted a well-composed innings, reaching his 67th Test half-century to go with his 36 hundreds. The milestone came off 102 balls and featured seven boundaries, underscoring his stature as England's all-time leading run scorer.

Even as India struck early after Tea-...