Joe Root achieved his long-awaited first Ashes century in Australia, leading England to 325-9 at the end of Day 1 of the second Test in Brisbane on December 4. Despite a stellar performance from Australia’s Mitchell Starc, who took six wickets, England emerged with the honors on the opening day. Starc’s early breakthroughs left England struggling at 5-2 in just the third over, securing the wickets of Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope.
Root entered the crease during a turbulent time for England, who were looking to rebound from an eight-wicket loss in the series opener in Perth. He played an unbeaten innings of 135, supported by Jofra Archer, who contributed a career-best 32 in an unbroken 61-run partnership for the last wicket. Zac Crawley, who partnered with Root in a vital 117-run third-wicket stand, praised his teammate’s “phenomenal knock,” noting Root’s calmness and clarity at the crease. Crawley himself scored 76 runs before a poorly timed pull shot sent him back to the pavilion.
Starc later dismissed Harry Brook for 31, marking his 415th career wicket and making him the most successful left-arm fast bowler in Test cricket, surpassing Pakistan’s Wasim Akram. “He’s still the pinnacle of left-armers,” Starc acknowledged regarding Akram. Root’s previous high score in 15 Ashes Tests in Australia was 89, and media scrutiny leading up to this match had highlighted his quest for a century.
The first two sessions of play were evenly contested, with both England and Australia experiencing similar fortunes in terms of runs and wickets. As the night session began, England was positioned at 196-4. Root and Ben Stokes looked secure until a remarkable run-out by Josh Inglis shifted momentum. While attempting a quick single, Stokes was sent back by Root, allowing Inglis to break the stumps. After this, Scott Boland dismissed Jamie Smith for a duck, bringing England to 211-6.
Root continued to build until he was joined by Will Jacks, with the two adding 40 runs before Jacks fell to Starc. Starc quickly added two more wickets, leaving England at a precarious 264-9. Yet, Root and Archer counterattacked. Despite the challenging positions, Starc considered the day’s performance to be evenly matched, stating, “They blazed away a little bit and probably evened the day out.”
In a controversial selection decision, Australia opted to bring back Neser as part of a five-man pace attack, leaving out veteran spinner Nathan Lyon, who has only missed two Tests at home since his debut in 2011. The selection committee deemed it a temporary move based on pitch conditions, though Lyon expressed his disappointment with the choice, calling it “filthy.” As the day concluded, the floodlights illuminated the Gabba, with England’s 325 on the scoreboard suggesting a subtle shift in the narrative of this Ashes series.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2025/12/05/root-reigns-at-gabba/
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Publish Date: 2025-12-05 03:12:00
