BIRMINGHAM, England :Joe Root steadied the ship again for England as his unbeaten half century steered the hosts to 240-5 at tea on day one of the first Ashes test, after the key wickets of captain Ben Stokes and young firebrand Harry Brook had given Australia the edge.
England had the better of the morning session in the Birmingham sunshine on Friday, but the wicket of Zak Crawley on the last ball before lunch gave Australia hope of swinging momentum in their favour.
Brook, who had previously scored four centuries in seven matches for England and has been at the forefront of their aggressive new approach, was in good touch again before a freakish dismissal off the bowling of Nathan Lyon.
After Stokes came and went quickly for just one, Australia were eyeing the possibility of skittling England out before Root stood firm, with England’s all-time leading run scorer across all forms of cricket, seeing his side through to tea without further damage, unbeaten on 66.
With World Test Champions Australia in town, many experts predicted England may soften their aggressive “Bazball” approach for the Ashes, but such doubts were quickly put to bed as Crawley hammered a boundary off the first ball of the innings.
It was in stark contrast to the first ball of the last Ashes series, when Mitchell Starc clean bowled England opener Rory Burns, ahead of Australia’s rampant 4-0 success.
Root joined Crawley at the crease after the dismissals of Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, with Crawley reaching his 50 off just 56 balls, only to get a glove on what was the final delivery before lunch.
Brook raced onto 32 off 37 balls before he was left helpless as a blocked shot looped back over his head and onto the stumps in bizarre fashion.
Stokes’s demise was all his own doing, however, as he edged one off Hazlewood, who looked the pick of the Australian bowlers on what was his fourth international test appearance in two and a half years.
With the help of fellow veteran Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow, also unbeaten at tea on 33, Root, who was given out late in the session only for the Decision Review System to come to his rescue, proved the patient approach is still just as effective.
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