England vs India fourth Test: Joe Root and Jos Buttler strengthen England's grip but hosts lose Stuart Broad

India 152 & 33-1 v England 367

Joe Root on his way to 70 in the first innings of the fourth Test against India (Getty Images)

England were without Stuart Broad as they looked to press home their advantage in the fourth Investec Test against India at Emirates Old Trafford.

Broad did not take the field to bowl after being hurt by a bouncer while batting as England compiled a first-innings lead of 215.

While he received treatment in the dressing room, Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan shared seam bowling duties with James Anderson as England sought an emphatic win to go 2-1 up in the series.

Woakes made the one breakthrough before tea on the third day, trapping Murali Vijay leg before for 18 to leave India 33 for one at the interval, still trailing by 182.

England's position of superiority was established in the morning by Joe Root and Jos Buttler, who scored 77 and 70 respectively and took their seventh-wicket partnership to 134 to help England reach 367.

Both eventually fell before lunch, to become Pankaj Singh's first Test victims, but the damage was done as India endured a poor session.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had a particularly tough time, struggling to find a way to prise through the middle order and then missing a glaring chance to run out Buttler on 44.

Dhoni failed to gather a throw from Varun Aaron with Buttler well short of his ground, in what proved one of three reprieves for the England wicketkeeper.

Buttler, playing his second Test, was also dropped on 34 by Virat Kohli and survived a marginal lbw appeal shortly after reaching his half-century. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the unlucky bowler on both occasions.

Root was troubled less and made comfortable progress as he continued his outstanding summer.

The Yorkshire batsman reached his half-century in the second over of the morning with a clip to fine leg for three, sending Kumar diving through the patch of muddy outfield that prematurely ended Friday's play.

Root has now passed 50 in each of the four Tests in this series, in a season in which he also scored a double century against Sri Lanka.

The new ball was taken at the earliest opportunity, in the 10th over of the morning, but Buttler took immediate advantage by cracking successive fours through the covers.

Buttler remained the more assertive partner but Root had just started to play more expansively when his demise came.

Root took the score past 300, and the lead over 150, with two crisp fours in one Aaron over but then gloved a catch down the legside to Dhoni off the hitherto luckless Pankaj.

Pankaj, after recording the worst figures by a Test debutant in the last match at Southampton, looked relieved to finally register a wicket after conceding 274 runs.

Root's innings had occupied 161 balls and contained seven boundary fours, as well as two all-run fours.

Better was to come for Pankaj as a well-disguised slower ball just before lunch lured Buttler into chipping a catch to Cheteshwar Pujara at mid-off, ending a 130-ball effort that included 10 fours.

Broad looked to up the tempo after lunch and hooked Aaron for successive sixes in the first over back.

His luck ran out with the next ball, however, as an 88.1mph bouncer forced its way through the grille in his helmet and hit him on the nose.

Broad crouched immediately and signalled for treatment as blood dripped down his face. He was able to stand but was led from the field looking groggy soon after.

Woakes hit three fours in a quick 26 but the innings ended when Anderson fell leg before to his arch-rival Ravindra Jadeja.

India, without having to face Broad, made a more solid start second time around than in their first innings.

But there was a moment of alarm when Vijay flashed narrowly wide of the slips off Jordan and Woakes ended his efforts as tea approached.

PA