Ton-up Root turns Sri Lanka tide

England, after losing the toss, were 344 for five at stumps on the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's.

Joe Root celebrates getting 100 runs at Lord's.

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LONDON: Joe Root's second hundred in as many Lord's Tests was thecornerstone of England's recovery on the first day of their series opener withSri Lanka on Thursday.

Root's 102 not out helped take England to 344 for five atstumps on the first day of the first Test after they'd been struggling at 74for three when the 23-year-old Yorkshireman walked out to bat.

Root, who made a Test-best 180 against Australia atLord's last year, was well supported by Matt Prior (76 not out) in a so-farunbroken sixth-wicket stand of 135.

However, recalled wicketkeeper Prior was fortunate not beout for a second-ball duck before completing just his second 50 in 21 Testinnings.

Moeen Ali (48), one of three debutants in a new-lookEngland side following their 5-0 Ashes drubbing in Australia, had previouslyhelped Root steady the ship during a fifth-wicket stand of 89.

"It's a very slow wicket and hard to time when theball goes softer," Root told Sky Sports. "It was a day when you hadto scrap.

"There's nothing that beats Test cricket and thechallenge of scoring runs in the first Test of the summer after the winter wehad was something that I relished."

Root, criticised for not playing forward enough inAustralia, added: "Getting forward is something that I'm working on andwant to develop. I worked hard on that today."

Things initially went well for Sri Lanka after captainAngelo Mathews won the toss and elected to field.

Although sunny blue skies above suggested ideal battingconditions, the pitch was a greener-looking one than usually associated withLord's at this time of year.

Early double strike

Mathews's decision yielded a quick reward as England lostboth their openers inside the first half hour.

Australia-born Sam Robson, one of England's newcomersalong with Ali and all-rounder Chris Jordan, fell for one on his Middlesex homeground when drawn forward into edging a full-length Nuwan Pradeep delivery thatwas well caught by diving wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene.

And 14 for one became 22 for two when England captainAlastair Cook, who in this match became only the fourth man after India's SunilGavaskar and the Australian duo of Allan Border and Mark Waugh to play 100consecutive Tests, exited for 17 when he edged an intended cut off Nuwan Kulasekarainto his stumps.

Ian Bell, the only other experienced batsman in arevamped top order, eased first-change Shaminda Eranga through the covers forfour.

Gary Ballance looked less assured and the Zimbabwe-bornleft-hander's innings ended when he was caught behind off Pradeep for 23.

England had struggled to 98 for three at lunch but Bellwas unbeaten on 41 and looking in excellent touch in his 99th Test.

Shortly after lunch, he drove left-arm spinner RanganaHerath for six to go to a 69-ball 50.

But he was out soon afterwards when, hitting across theline, he was lbw to Eranga although Sri Lanka had to first challenge Australianumpire Paul Reiffel's original not out decision .

Ali began cautiously but the left-hander and Root wereboth unbeaten on 43 at tea.

Root subsequently completed his fifty but Ali fell justshort when he drove loosely at Herath and was caught by Mahela Jayawardene atslip.

Prior, dropped during the Ashes, had still to score onThursday when struck on the back leg by Herath.

Sri Lanka appealed for lbw but Reiffel ruled in thebatsman's favour and, despite a review, the 'umpire's call' stood after replaysindicated the ball, which would have hit the stumps, had pitched fractionallyoutside off stump.

Meanwhile, the initially watchful Root cut andcover-drove Eranga for two well-struck boundaries.

Prior, who marked his Test debut with a hundred at Lord'sagainst the West Indies in 2007, reached 50 when he cover-drove Pradeep,bowling with the new ball, for his seventh four.

Root, obliged to be more vigilant, drove Kulasekara downthe ground for just his eighth boundary to go to 96 before then reaching histhird hundred in 16 Tests off 183 balls with three off Herath.