Oh Captain, my captain: England sweep problems under the carpet

Root celebrates one of his finer centuries

Walt Whitman’s famous poem begins with a line rather reminiscent of England’s day; ‘’O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done.’’ In this scenario, England’s captain guided his ship to what looks like safety with a masterful century, as the threat of sinking in foreign seas once again was washed away by another superb England performance.

Root’s chanceless 124 was a masterclass of how to play in subcontinental conditions, defined by nimble footwork and frequent use of the sweep shot. Indeed, the sweep shot was the dominant feature of the day as England cantered along at 4.5 an over for most of the day, losing their first 7 wickets to the sweep or reverse sweep in the process.

Root’s innings was the definition of a captain’s innings, taking responsibility as the best batsman in the side with a positive attitude that never allowed the Sri Lankan bowlers to settle into a rhythm. Plaudits should not only go to the captain, but also fine innings by Rory Burns and Ben Foakes, who breezed to fifty as if batting in the nets.

Burns’ innings in particular is a hugely positive sign for England going forward. Many pundits and fans alike have criticised his untraditional technique prior to this series, but what he lacks in technique he makes up for in temperament. His positive 59 from only 66 balls swiftly carried England past the first innings deficit and was a very important innings under pressure early on. His predecessor Cook never looked the most technical, but made up for it with his steely determination, and Burns’ innings today really showed his mettle.

Down the other end of the order, Ben Foakes appeared with another stellar innings, reaching fifty with a six late on in the day after a crucial 82 partnership with Root that took England’s lead beyond 250. He rarely employed the sweep unlike his teammates but looked in no trouble playing with a straight bat, albeit at a slower rate.

Amongst all the individual success though was how England approached the innings with such positivity and a clear game plan. So often teams get bogged down in pressure situations and let the bowling team dominate proceedings, but this was never on the agenda for England. Either they were going to put pressure on the bowlers and be positive or go down trying, and it paid off. As previously mentioned, 7 England wickets fell playing sweeps, but this failed to deter their progress as they stuck to their game plan.

Not only did the option of the sweep continually pick up boundaries but it put pressure on Sri Lanka to go more defensive as they began leaking runs, allowing England to rotate the strike effectively, compiling 137 singles with relative ease. With considerable turn starting to appear in the pitch, an aggressive approach was vital to avoid getting bogged down, and England’s one day skills came to the fore. Akila Dhananjaya went at 4.6 and over (but did get 6 wickets), Dilruwan Perera at 4.57 and debutant Pushpakumara at 3.73, illustrating the dominance England’s batsmen had throughout the day.

England’s lead of 278 looks to be a good score going into the fourth innings, and Sri Lanka may look to learn from England’s perfect balance of aggression on a tricky pitch. Rarely has such a refreshing approach been seen from an England team overseas, and Root has finally stamped his mark as captain with an exceptional innings. I dare not include the next line in Whitman’s poem yet, ‘‘the ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won’’, but it looks as though England are favourites to secure a historic series victory over the next couple of days. With the character they’ve showed throughout both matches, it feels a deserved reward for the better team.