Perth [Australia], November 22 : England great Joe Root had a dismal outing with the bat during the first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth.
The right-handed batter was dismissed for a seven-ball duck in the first innings and managed to score eight runs off 11 balls in the second.
Australian speedster Mitchell Starc dismissed the former England captain in both innings.
Ahead of the Ashes 2025 series, Root arrived in Australia as the second-highest run-getter in Tests and the highest for England.
In 159 Tests, Root has amassed 13551 runs with a superb average of 50.94, including 39 centuries and 66 half-centuries.
Root has scored almost everywhere in the world, but he has yet to establish his legacy in Australia, where his record is not so good. For those unversed, the great cricketer has never scored a century on Australian soil and has never won a Test match.
In 15 Test matches and 29 innings in Australia, the right-handed batter has made 900 runs with a below-par average of 33.33. He has scored nine half-centuries, with the highest score in Australia being 89 runs.
Overall, the 34-year-old has notched up 2436 runs in 35 matches and 67 innings against Australia in Tests. Root has an average of 39.29 and has smashed four centuries and 18 half-centuries. His highest score against the Aussies is 180 runs.
The last time Root travelled to Australia to play Ashes was during the 2021-22 series, which England lost 4-0. Root was the third-highest run-getter during the 2021-22 Ashes series. The veteran scored 322 runs in five Tests with an average of 32.20, with the help of three fifties.
Root, who had a poor outing with the bat during the Ashes opener in Perth, will look to put on a solid display in the remaining four Test matches.
Meanwhile, the opening Test in Perth is well poised at the moment. Talking about the match, England made 172 runs in the first innings. Harry Brook top-scored with 52 runs off 61 deliveries, with the help of six boundaries.
For Australia, Mitchell Starc took a seven-wicket haul. In 12.5 overs, Starc conceded 7/58.
In response, the hosts were bundled out for 132 runs with Travis Head (21 off 35 balls), Cameron Green (24 off 50 deliveries), and Alex Carey ( 26 off 26 balls) chipping crucial runs.
For England, captain Ben Stokes (5/23 in 6 overs) produced a sensational spell as the visitors took a crucial 40-run lead.
At the time of writing, England are struggling at 131-7 in 31 overs in their second innings with Gus Atkinson (14*) and Brydon Carse (19*). England are leading by 171 runs.