Captain Fanstastic: Joe Root marks Test captaincy with brilliant centuiry at Lord's

Root (102no) cashed in on early good fortune - he might easily have fallen to Kagiso Rabada on five or 16 - on his way to a 150-ball century which contained 15 fours and aided a much-needed recovery after Vernon Philander had taken three morning wickets.

The Yorkshireman shared a fifth-wicket stand of 114 with Ben Stokes (56) after Philander (three for 28) had put England in trouble at 17 for two and then 76 for four in the first Investec Test.

Root, who won the toss on a glorious day, responded to his team’s travails and went on to complete his century in the early evening with a swept three off Keshav Maharaj in a total of 209 for five.

He therefore became the sixth captain in Test history to make a hundred in his first innings in charge.

Root found himself in the middle much sooner than he doubtless hoped as Philander nipped out both openers cheaply.

The seamer struck in his second and third overs as Root’s captaincy predecessor Alastair Cook and then Keaton Jennings succumbed, as did Jonny Bairstow after Gary Ballance fell to Morne Morkel.

But Root then joined forces to telling effect with Stokes in a century stand as they put on exactly 100 runs in the second session.

On a pitch tinged with green and providing good carry, Cook went caught-behind when Philander got one to run down the slope for an outside edge as England’s all-time record runscorer pushed out slightly away from his body on the back foot.

The circumstances of England’s second early departure were regrettable. Umpire Sundaram Ravi took his time before giving Jennings out lbw when he was hit on the front pad pushing forward.

The opener consulted Ballance at the non-striker’s end, but neither opted for a review which would have reprieved Jennings both on the basis that the ball pitched outside leg-stump and was not going on to hit it either.

Root’s first slice of good luck against South Africa’s first-change fast bowler came when he failed to control a hook, only to see the ball sail just over substitute fielder Aiden Markram at long-leg yet still bounce inside the rope.

Ballance was gradually driving more freely as the seamers kept testing him on a full length, and 10 runs came from the first over of Morkel’s second spell.

But Morkel then got one in the right place from round the wicket to win another lbw verdict from umpire Ravi against the left-hander, and England compounded their earlier blunder on DRS by this time opting for a review which merely confirmed the ball would have thudded into leg-stump.

Root therefore had a second Yorkshire ally for company, in Bairstow, and soon his second escape off Rabada too - spearing a drive on the up straight through JP Duminy’s hands above his head at gully.

But 10 minutes before lunch, Philander struck in his second spell - from the nursery end this time - when he pinned Bairstow lbw on the back foot.

It was not until the afternoon that England began to reach calmer waters.

Stokes had a let-off too, beaten for pace on 44 when Morkel jagged one into him to lift the leg-bail via an inside-edge but surviving because of a big overstep for no-ball - and South Africa were punished doubly when the ball sped away for four streaky byes.

Confusion on the scoreboard saw Stokes credited initially with the runs and consequently going on to celebrate his half-century early. He then spent a further six balls on 49 before reaching his 50 - again from 95 - having hit seven fours and a straight six off Maharaj.

Stokes did not last long into the third session, caught-behind trying to pull Rabada - and Moeen Ali was therefore in situ for the moment Root reached three figures.