YORKSHIRE'S Joe Root completed his fifth Test century as England piled up 486, and a lead of 338, on a hectic third morning against India at The Oval.

Root (149no) had 92 to his name at start of play, and wasted no time moving on to three figures - preface to 98 runs from 11 overs in the first hour for the hosts.

At the start of a cloudy morning, Root pushed Ishant Sharma through midwicket for three to bring up his hundred and England's 400 with the same shot.

His century had taken 135 balls, and contained 10 fours and two sixes, but the most notable statistic was that his acceleration after a necessarily patient start brought him his second 50 in only 42 deliveries.

Chris Jordan fell to the very next ball from Ishant (four for 96), following one that held its line to be caught behind and end an eighth-wicket stand of 82 in 12.3 overs.

But Stuart Broad then joined in the fun, in his first innings since Varun Aaron broke his nose with a bouncer at Old Trafford last week, and dished out a little belated retaliation - standing tall for three trademark off-side boundaries in the same over from the fast bowler.

Nothing was going right for India, a fact underlined cruelly when Ishant bowled Root off an inside edge and pad only to discover - even as the batsman was walking off for 110 - that there would be a reprieve because he had overstepped for a no-ball.

Broad was soon proving as well, off Ishant at the other end, that he is happy to continue hooking - and duly counted six, when he did so.

Root also climbed into three fours in one Aaron over.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni kept two slips, a gully and short-leg in to Broad, even as he threatened the world's fastest Test 50, and eventually it paid off when he looped a catch into the cordon - albeit off only his left glove, when he had taken it off the bat handle and therefore should not strictly have been given out.

Another 63 had been plundered in just seven overs by the ninth-wicket pair, but still England wanted more - so it was only when James Anderson went lbw pushing forward to Ravi Ashwin (three for 72) that the innings was naturally closed, leaving India 40 minutes of second-innings batting before lunch.