Root and Brook Steady England Ship

Some things never change.

And England requiring Joe Root to dig them out of a self-imposed hole seems to be one of them.

After captain Ben Stokes elected to bat on the first day of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a positive start seemed to be going to waste, as the tourists slipped from 35 – 0 to 57 – 3.

Ben Duckett (27) played nicely, before edging England’s tormentor in chief Mitchell Starc through to wicket-keeper Alex Carey.

Zak Crawley (16) and Jacob Bethell (10) then followed Duckett back to the pavilion, after being trapped LBW by Michael Neser and feathering Scott Boland through to Carey respectively.

However, the dismissal of Crawley saw Root (31*) arrive at the crease, ready to perform another rescue act and looking to finish a disappointing series on a high, apart from his maiden Test century in Australia.

Aside from wafting nervously at his first ball from Neser, England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer looked at relative easy, driving imperiously through the covers and playing his favourite late cut to good effect on multiple occasions.

Alongside fellow Yorkshireman Harry Brook (23*), Root guided England through to the lunch break at 114 – 3, without sustaining any further losses, putting on an unbroken 57 for the fourth wicket.

Brook also played with some much required and lesser seen restraint, resisting the urge to dance down the wicket or harness any of his chosen party shots.

He still managed to make his mark though, driving Cameron Green emphatically through the covers for four and seeing the runs begin to flow towards the end of the session.

With the wicket looking good for batting and the early morning moisture appearing to start to fade, England will hope that Root and Brook can bat through the afternoon session and negotiate a dominant position heading into the back end of the day.