After 12 years, three Ashes tours Down Under and 30 innings, the monkey is finally off Joe Root’s back. His 40th Test hundred will undoubtedly be among his most cherished, a first on Australian soil for one of the modern masters. Root’s 135 not out was the cornerstone of an uneven England batting performance on the opening day of the pink-ball Test at the Gabba in Brisbane. Mitchell Starc’s 6-71 kept Australia in the hunt, but an unbeaten last-wicket stand of 61 in just 44 balls between Jofra Archer and Root swung the pendulum England’s way as they finished on 325/9 from the 74 overs bowled.
Zak Crawley’s fluent 76 (93 balls) held the top of the innings together after Starc sent back both Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks. With the exception of Harry Brook, who made a brisk 31 before a rash slash at Starc, no other batter crossed 20 until Archer came out and clubbed two sixes in a 26-ball 32.
Australia omitted Nathan Lyon from their XI, playing South African-born Queensland quick Michael Neser instead. Lyon had played 69 straight matches on home soil since 2012 and told Channel 7 that he was “absolutely filthy” about being left out.
After Starc’s opening burst, Crawley and Root added 117 at a brisk clip, with the tall opener playing some sublime drives through the covers and down the ground. But having survived probing spells from Starc and Scott Boland, Crawley under-edged a Neser delivery to be caught behind.
Brook and Root then took the score to 176 before Starc struck again, and Australia wasted two reviews on leg-before appeals against Root. England went to tea at 196/4, but Starc triggered the now-familiar collapse as the lights took effect. The slide began with Ben Stokes being run out by a direct hit from Josh Inglis, and Jamie Smith lasted just two balls before Boland nipped one between bat and pad.
Through it all, Root defended stoutly and put away the loose deliveries, while avoiding the corridor misadventures that had so often cost him in Australia. He added 40 with Will Jacks, but then saw him, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse all fall to Starc. At that point, Starc had 6/46 with the Gabbatoir in full voice. After the late flourish from Archer and Root, however, it was the Barmy Army doing the singing.
Brief Scores: England 325/9 (Root 135*, Crawley 76; Starc 6/71) v Australia.
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