ENG vs AUS Day 1 Highlights: Root Shines, Starc Strikes Six as England Reach 325/9
Stumps on Day 1: Mitchell Starc was brilliant with the ball, taking 6 wickets for 71 runs, while Joe Root played an outstanding innings, scoring 135 from 202 balls*. Thanks to Root’s knock, England ended the first day in a strong position at 325/9. Also, remember, no team has ever lost a day-night Test after scoring more than 300 runs in the first innings. England will be very happy with how the day went.
Root gets a few pats on his back as he walks to a standing ovation to the dressing room. He has been outstanding tonight. Broke the 12-year-long jinx and 30-innings-long wait to score his maiden Test ton on Australian soil. It has been a fabulous knock from the Yorkshireman, and amidst Starc's fiery spell, Root was all but a lone man standing for the visitors until Jofra Archer joined him, and the duo just frustrated Australia to the limits.
England Finish Day 1 on Top Thanks to Root’s Brilliant Ton
Earlier in the afternoon, England won the toss and opted to bat first. Starc set the tone just like he did in Perth, picking up a wicket in the very first over. This time, it was Ben Duckett who bagged a golden duck. The left-arm pacer didn't stop there and also saw Ollie Pope chop it onto his stumps for a bronze duck.
Zak Crawley and Root rebuilt with a much-needed 117-run third-wicket partnership. They took England away from a precarious 5/2 to 122/2 before Crawley was taken care of by Michael Neser for 76. Harry Brook came in and went off to a flyer yet again. His innings was cut short for just 31, with Starc coming back into the attack to break the 54-run stand between the two Yorkshiremen just before the dinner break.
Ben Stokes tried to build his innings, but was a victim of a miscommunication with Root. Scott Boland then went through the defences of Jamie Smith, who also bagged a duck. Will Jacks tried to stick around before Starc ran riot under the lights to reduce England to 264/9 from 251/7. Starc tore into the lower order like he always does and waved his ball for the 6th time in the pink-ball arena.
Root was running out of partners, but between the chaos from Starc, he managed to get through his 40th Test century, celebrating it with a simple angelic smile. Australia tried to slow it down towards the end, but it backfired with England's last pair of Root & Archer made merry of the opportunity to add an unbeaten 61-run partnership and will come out to bat again tomorrow.
