Cricket-India lose Rahul in victory pursuit after Root hundred

Cricket - First Test - England v India - Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Britain - August 7, 2021 India's KL Rahul in action Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

England captain Joe Root hit his 21st test century but India maintained slight upper hand going into what promises to be an enthralling final day of the opening test on Sunday.

Root made 109 to drag his side out of the doldrums and set India a tricky 209-run victory target on the penultimate day of the bowler-dominated contest on Saturday.

Root had top-scored in his side's first innings total of 183 and his century proved the bedrock of England's 303 in the second innings.

Cricket - First Test - England v India - Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Britain - August 5, 2021 England's Joe Root and teammates appeal unsuccesfully for the wicket of India's KL Rahul Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

India were 52-1 at stumps, still needing 157 runs to go 1-0 up in the five-match series that marks the beginning of a new World Test Championship cycle.

Rohit Sharma was batting on 12 after losing his opening partner KL Rahul, who made 26.

Cheteshwar Pujara hit three boundaries in his unbeaten 12 after an engrossing day at Trent Bridge.

Cricket - First Test - England v India - Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Britain - August 7, 2021 England's Joe Root Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Earlier, Rishabh Pant spent a busy day behind the stumps after England resumed on 25 for no loss.

Mohammed Siraj drew first blood, dismissing Rory Burns caught behind for 18.

Zak Crawley fell in the next over, edging Jasprit Bumrah to Pant who dived to his right to take the catch.

Cricket - First Test - England v India - Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Britain - August 7, 2021 England's Joe Root reacts Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Root added 89 runs with opener Dom Sibley to prop up the innings.

Sibley got an lbw decision overturned but departed on 28 when his angled bat met Bumrah's swinging ball and Pant dived to his left to smartly pouch the inside edge.

Jonny Bairstow made 30 before holing out to deep square and Shardul Thakur trapped Dan Lawrence lbw for 25 but Root could not be denied his hundred.

The home captain hit Mohammed Shami for a boundary to bring up his century, celebrating it by jumping, punching the air and letting out a roar.

Bumrah ended Root's 172-ball knock, which included 14 boundaries, dismissing him with the second new ball.

Sam Curran's breezy 32 down the order was the second highest score in England's second innings.

Bumrah, who claimed 5-64, dismissed Curran and Stuart Broad in successive deliveries but was denied a hat-trick by James Anderson.

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New DelhiEditing by Toby Davis, Ed Osmond and Frances Kerry)