Sydney [Australia], January 5 : A magnificent century from veteran batter Joe Root has helped England to reach a commanding position after the end of the first session of Day 2 in the visitors' first innings of the ongoing fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday.
At lunch on Day 2, the Three Lions reached 336/6 in 78 overs with Will Jacks ( 3* off 11 deliveries) and Root (138* off 200 balls, including 14 fours) unbeaten at the crease. The partnership for the seventh wicket is 13 runs off 20 balls.
The Ben Stokes-led England started their Day 2 with an overnight score of 211/3 in 45 overs, with Root (72* off 103 balls, including eight fours) and Harry Brook (78 off 92 deliveries, with the help of six fours and one six) unbeaten at the crease.
Australian speedster Mitchell Starc broke the mammoth 169-run stand for the fourth wicket after the left-arm seamer removed Brook for 84 runs off 97 deliveries, including six fours and one maximum during the fourth ball of the 48th over.
During the fifth ball of the 51st over, Starc then removed England captain Ben Stokes for an 11-ball duck as the visitors slumped to 229/5. It was the 14th time the left-arm seamer had removed Stokes in Test cricket.
Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith joined Root at the crease and started playing counterattacking cricket. Jamie smashed a massive six over backward square leg against Starc during the 55th over, before picking up a few boundaries in the next over as England reached 257/5.
The right-handed batter Root reached his 41st Test century in 146 deliveries during the first ball of the 60th over. It was Root's second hundred in the ongoing Ashes series. Earlier, the veteran slammed a century during the pink-ball Test in Brisbane.
Overall, he became the joint-third highest with the most Test hundreds in international cricket. He joined Australian legend Ricky Ponting (41) in third place. Ahead of them are South African great Jacques Kallis (45) and Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar (51). Since 2021, this was Root's 24th Test hundred, the most by anyone.
During the 75th over, Australia's Marnus Labuschagne ended the 94-run partnership for the sixth wicket after he removed Jamie Smith for 46 off 76 balls, including six fours and one six. At lunch on Day 2, England reached 336/6.
Earlier, England won the toss and decided to bat first. Just 45 overs were bowled on the opening day, after the third session of the day allowed no play due to rain and bad light.
Openers Zak Crawley (16 off 29 balls, with the help of three fours) and Ben Duckett (27 off 24 balls, with the help of five boundaries) stitched a 35-run stand for the first wicket.
Jacob Bethell departed after scoring 10 runs off 23 deliveries, including two fours, before Root and Harry Brook steadied the ship and helped the visitors cross the 100-run mark in the first session.
For Australia, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Michael Neser picked one wicket apiece in the first session.
The second session saw England dominating the contest, with boundaries kept coming as they raced to 155/3 after the end of 33 overs. In the very next over, Root reached his well-deserved fifty in 65 deliveries, whereas Brook notched up his half-century after hitting a four against speedster Beau Webster.
The visitors crossed the 200-run mark in the 42nd over. Root and Brook notched up the 150-run stand for the fourth wicket during the 43rd over, putting the visitors in a commanding position as they went into tea without losing a single wicket in the second session, before the third session on Day 1 was washed out due to rain and bad light.
Brief Scores: England: 336/6 (Joe Root 138*, Harry Brook 84*, Scott Boland 2/75) vs Australia.