4 months ago
2
An imperious Joe Root scored his 2nd period of the Ashes bid and 41st wide Monday (January 5, 2026) to steer England to a commanding 336-6 astatine luncheon connected time 2 of the 5th and last Test against Australia.
In beforehand of a packed Sydney Cricket Ground, the world’s top-ranked batsman was 138 not retired with Will Jacks connected 3 aft the tourists resumed astatine 211-3.
Harry Brook (84) and skipper Ben Stokes (0) fell to Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc respectively, portion Jamie Smith (46) was dismissed by part-timer Marnus Labuschagne.
Australia pb the bid 3-1 and person already retained the Ashes, with England hopeless to support the momentum going aft clawing backmost a triumph astatine the erstwhile Test successful Melbourne.
The greeting belonged to Root, who started connected 72 and reached his period disconnected 146 balls, with 11 fours, to reaffirm his presumption arsenic 1 of the all-time greats.
The 35-year-old began the gruelling bid nether unit aft failing to marque a 100 successful Australia implicit 3 erstwhile Ashes tours, but helium snapped the drought with a majestic unbeaten 138 successful the day-night Test astatine Brisbane.
His exploits successful Sydney drew him level with Australian Ricky Ponting to beryllium 3rd connected the all-time century-maker list.
Only India’s Sachin Tendulkar (51) and South African Jacques Kallis (45) person more.
Root and Brook came unneurotic with England successful occupation astatine 57-3 connected Sunday pursuing the demise of Ben Duckett (27), Zak Crawley (16) and Jacob Bethell (10), steering them to information earlier mediocre upwind forced the last league to beryllium abandoned connected time one.
Both were eyeing large centuries connected a platform perfect for batting.
But Brook lone lasted 5 balls, adding six to his overnight 78 earlier dabbing astatine a Boland transportation and edging into the harmless hands of Steve Smith astatine slip.
It ended a 169-run partnership, not lone England’s champion of the bid but the biggest by either team, surpassing Travis Head and Alex Carey’s 162 successful Adelaide.
Stokes lone survived 11 balls earlier getting the faintest of edges disconnected Starc.
The umpire gave it not retired but the determination was overturned connected reappraisal and helium was gone for a duck.
Smith lived dangerously and was fortunate to inactive beryllium determination aft chipping Cameron Green to Labuschagne astatine screen connected 22. He began walking disconnected but replays showed Green overstepped the mark.
He added different 24 earlier medium-pacer Labuschagne was brought connected and bagged him successful his archetypal over, holing retired to Boland.
