Joe Root rides stupendous strokeplay to 30th Test century as England ends day one on top of Australia
A brilliant century from Joe Root has put England slightly ahead of Australia after an enthralling opening day of the Ashes.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, England posted a solid first innings total of 393 before a shock declaration from skipper Ben Stokes despite the home side being just eight wickets down.
Stokes’ declaration came just minutes after Root notched what was a brilliant century that held England’s innings together.
The 32-year-old hit seven boundaries and four sixes on his way to an unbeaten 113, his 30th Test century and fourth against Australia.
Of Root’s four sixes, two of them came via some of the most audacious strokeplay that you’re likely to see in the Test arena, with the shots symbolic of England’s current ‘BazBall’ era of cricket.
The first came in the first over of the final session with the first innings finely placed.
Root took little time setting the tone for how England would play as the ball got older, scooping Scott Boland over the slips cordon for six.
He did it again later on in the session, this time to Australia’s captain Pat Cummins.
Former Australian skipper Mark Taylor suggested the tourists’ bowling allowed Root to get comfortable.
“He’s playing like he normally does … but when he gets set and when he feels the bowlers aren’t necessarily trying to get him out and they’re just trying to keep him quiet, that’s when he’ll play some of those shots,” he told Wide World of Sports.
“He’s brought that into his play under this new regime of aggressive cricket and it’s made him very hard to bowl to.
The best of Root’s century
“He was hard to bowl to before, but (it’s) even harder now.”
Taylor was also full of praise for Stokes’ declaration despite having two wickets in hand.
“It was a very different day of Test cricket than what I’ve seen to be totally honest,” he said.
“You’ve got to say full marks to Ben Stokes because he’s always looking to keep the game moving.
“That little declaration at the end of the day, now it didn’t work, but that has set the tone for the series.
“For him, an extra 20-30 runs against a second new ball, was it worth as much as maybe getting Khawaja or Warner? That’s the way he thinks.
“He’s looking to keep Australia under pressure all the time and I think if he keeps doing that we’re in for a very good series.”
Root hardly put a foot wrong during his knock, but did survive a scare after he was wrongly given out lbw midway through his innings, before a DRS call overturned the on-field decision.
The former captain found a brilliant ally in the recalled Jonny Bairstow, who helped the home side rebound from a slight stutter in the middle of the day with a brilliant run-a-ball 78 that came in a partnership of 121.
Bairstow’s counter-attacking knock was eventually brought to an end when he was stumped by Lyon, the pick of Australia’s bowlers on day one after he finished with four of the eight wickets to fall.
Australia will be buoyed by the way its openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner were able to negotiate a tricky four-over period, and will hope they can make hay under the sun when they return to the crease on day two with the tourists 379 runs adrift of England’s first innings total.
