The Ashes 2013: 2nd Test at Lord's - Five talking points from Day 3

Joe Root of England celebrates his century during day three of the 2nd Ashes Test against Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground on July 20, 2013 in London, England. (Getty Images)

1. Joe Root is the next big thing

22-year-old Root was given the massive responsibility of opening in the Ashes and he has eventually mastered the situation. He took his time to settle down and was patchy in his survival at the close of day two but all that is a part of the job.

At the end of the day, Root has shown great maturity when the rest of his teammates failed to grab the game by the scruff of its neck. His innings could have been displaced by a quick-fire fifty in the context of the game and the only difference would have been the run margin of victory but what he did was greater.

He devastated the opposition physically and mentally, demoralising them so much so that the rest of this series will seem like a bad nightmare in the dressing room at the end of day three. He might have created the groundwork for a whitewash.