The honours board that sits up high in the Long Room of the history-soaked pavilion at Trent Bridge does not record scores of 78 but in just shy of two hours at the crease Joe Root delivered a gem of an innings that, while ending in personal disgust, should not pass without mention.
On an overcast second day that witnessed a cascade of 15 wickets for 306 runs and left South Africa on course for a series-levelling victory, he was the one batsman to truly transcend conditions, lighting up the bowler-dominated proceedings with a sparkling counterattack either side of lunch.
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