50 - Jonny Bairstowpublished at 12:58 British Summer Time 14 August 2021

12:58 BST 14 August 2021

Image source, Getty Images

Virat Kohli's tactical changes make no difference as Ishant Sharma gives him a freebie to tuck away off his legs. Well Batted Jonny.

Joe Root clips it through mid-wicket for one off Ishant Sharma to give Jonny Bairstow five balls before lunch to get the single he needs.

The cunning Virat Kohli tweaks his field.

Andy Zaltzman
Test Match Special statistician

This is Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow's eighth hundred stand in Test century, and it took 29.4 overs.

Jonny Bairstow with a thick edge through the point region for a single. He moves on to 49. Joe Root nabs the strike, though, to bring up the century stand for the fourth wicket.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at Lord's

Zak Crawley has just wandered over from the nets on the Nursery Ground. He's an absolute giant of a man.

Cheers from the crowd as a Mohammed Shami bouncer takes off over Rishabh Pant's head and races away to the boundary.

Jonny Bairstow leans out the way, like he's getting out of his seat below the locker on an aeroplane, to a much better short ball and this time Pant takes it down the leg side.

Deep Dasgupta
Former India wicketkeeper on BBC Test Match Special

Joe Root has been fabulous again. I was just looking at this strike points earlier - he has been relaxed and waited for the ball to come on to him. He is so wristy and that allows him to guide the ball.

England bring up the 200 as Jonny Bairstow cuts another wide one from Ishant Sharma and he and Joe Root scamper three.

Michael Vaughan
Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

This senior pair will know that this partnership is so important because they will know that if India get one they could get two or three in quick succession.

With the second new ball just around the corner if India can grab one or two before that it could be over quite quickly.

Ishant Sharma hangs one a little shot and wide inviting Joe Root to cut. The shot is far from full blooded from the England skipper, who controls it through backward point for a couple of runs.

Root is unbeaten on 82. Can Jonny Bairstow, 45 not out, get his half-century before lunch?

Deep Dasgupta
Former India wicketkeeper on BBC Test Match Special

Virat Kohli has to be a little bit careful here. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will probably take the new ball, and as well as Shami is bowling here, Kohli has a decision to make.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at Lord's

I don't think anyone can match Joe Root's urgency when it comes to running between the wickets. He's like a man sprinting for the last train, knowing that if he misses it he's sleeping at the station, while his wife has a drink with Mr Poshington Biceps, the new next door neighbour.

Mohammed Shami, widow's peak pointing like an arrow on his forehead, affords himself a little chuckle as the ball dribbles of the edge off Joe Root's bat beyond the close catcher in the gully region.

Root and Jonny Bairstow have put on 86 thus far.

Michael Vaughan
Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

This is a great chance for Jonny Bairstow to go on and get that big score.

If you look at KL Rahul he wasn't going to play in the series, but he has come in and grabbed his chance. You'd have thought if Ollie Pope was fit for the first Test then Bairstow wouldn't have played.

He has done nicely so far and got some nice-ish numbers, but this is a chance. He's got to get a big score, and establish himself back in the team, and get himself in for the long term.

Ishant Sharma gets one to nip away from Jonny Bairstow's bat. That was a jaffa from the tall, languid India seamer.

Maybe India need lunch more than England do? They aren't getting any breaks at the moment.

He might be the Wally, I guess? In which case he could argue it's technically not fancy dress but his everyday clobber.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at Lord's

Where's Wally is in the Edrich Stand. I'm not strictly sure that fancy dress is permitted in these parts.

Chris Silverwood claps approvingly on the boundary as Jonny Bairstow is true to the old adage of 'run the first one hard'. He picks up a couple to ease any tension building on himself with a nudge, using the pace of the ball from Mohammed Shami, through square leg.

Plain sailing for England so far.

Michael Vaughan
Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

England have just got to try and bat the day out. If they do that they will be at or near India's score.

It would be nice if they could bat until tomorrow lunch. I know we're getting ahead of ourselves...

This was good from Joe Root a few minutes ago. A ball earlier he had played an expansive drive, missed the ball, and got the India slip cordon interested again. He played this was lovely soft hands, though.