Witness Joe Root’s remarkable performance as he guides England to 325, overcoming Starc’s challenge in an exciting Day-Night Ashes Test.
Introduction:
Joe Root’s enduring pursuit of a Test century on Australian soil finally found its fulfillment in Brisbane, as his unbeaten 135 anchored England to a fighting 325 for 9 on the opening day of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba. In a day-night contest full of drama and swing, Root’s fluency stood in sharp contrast to the turbulence at the other end, where Mitchell Starc’s six-wicket haul sliced repeatedly through England’s resistance.
After a chaotic break following the Perth mayhem, this day in Brisbane offered everything that characterizes the Ashes — movement, emotion, and moments of individual brilliance. England’s innings swayed between promise and collapse, but Root’s mastery under lights gave it a reassuring spine.
Test cricket’s heartbeat returns after the break
The series resumed after a gap that felt longer than it truly was, following two astonishing days in Perth dominated by pace, heat, and controversy. The switch to Brisbane’s day-night setting promised a more tactical contest, and it didn’t disappoint. The weather stayed clear but humid, offering a pink ball and grass-laced surface bound to excite both seamers and stroke-makers.
Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat, hoping to apply early scoreboard pressure. The morning crowd of over 35,000 hummed in anticipation, their voices echoing around the historic Gabba stands, where many remembered Root’s near-misses from previous tours. What followed was a reminder of the volatility and theatre of Ashes cricket — each phase swinging unpredictably, like the pink ball itself.
Steady start as Crawley sets the pace
Zak Crawley began positively, showing no hesitation against the new ball. His timing through the covers stood out early, his back-foot punches against Josh Hazlewood carrying authority. Crawley’s 76 was both stylish and significant; it gave England a rhythm they rarely found in recent trips to Australia.
At the other end, Ben Duckett departed early for 15, caught in front by a Starc inswinger that tailed dramatically under the Gabba lights. Ollie Pope followed soon after, nicking a fuller delivery to slip. Starc, sensing weakness, was immediately in rhythm — his pace consistently above 145 kph, his angles troubling both edges of the bat.
Yet, Root’s arrival brought calm. The captain walked in at 49 for 2 with an air of quiet determination, keenly aware of unfinished business in Australia. His focus was absolute, as if every missed chance from the 2021–22 series replayed before him.
Root and Crawley rebuild with authority
Root and Crawley’s stand for the third wicket steadied England beautifully. Crawley, free-flowing as ever, counterattacked with crisp straight drives, while Root read the lengths swiftly, rotating strike like a metronome. The pair ran aggressively and found singles where none seemed available, disrupting Australia’s plans.
By the first drinks break, the scoreboard read 105 for 2. Crawley brought up his second fifty of the series with a crunching cut through point off Cameron Green, while Root’s balance and soft hands neutralised Starc’s late swing.
The Australian attack began to fragment under the partnership’s control. Even Pat Cummins, spearheading the pink-ball conditions with surgical precision, struggled for a breakthrough. Lyon was introduced early to test England’s rhythm but extracted little turn, forcing Australia to rely on reverse swing that never truly arrived.
Starc’s second wind revives Australia
After tea, with the floodlights beginning to bite, Mitchell Starc found his second wind. His rhythm tightened, his seam kissed the surface perfectly, and movement returned into play. Crawley, cruising to what seemed an assured hundred, finally fell for 76 — strangled down leg by a late-angled delivery that nicked his glove.
The breakthrough shattered England’s momentum. Stokes was soon undone by an inswinging yorker that sent his middle stump tumbling. Bairstow perished driving uppishly to mid-off. Within half an hour, England had slipped from 180 for 3 to 204 for 6, their earlier solidity torn apart by Starc’s unrelenting pace and precision.
Yet, amid carnage, Root remained unmoved — compact, decisive, and serene. His awareness of angles and mastery of balance allowed him to play the moving ball later than anyone else had managed all day. Every run carried weight, every defensive push seemed to wear down Australia’s spirits.
Root’s century — redemption long overdue
When Joe Root brought up his hundred with a punch off the back foot to deep point, there was no great leap or roar, just a gentle raise of the bat and an emotional glance skyward. The entire England dressing room stood and applauded. For Root, it was redemption — his first century in Australia after twelve years of near misses and heartbreaks.
His 135 not out by stumps was a masterpiece of concentration. He had survived Starc’s baneful spells, negated Hazlewood’s cutters, and manipulated Lyon with delicate sweeps that disrupted field settings. Perhaps most crucially, he thrived against the pink ball under lights — traditionally the toughest hour in day-night Tests.
Root’s innings was a display of technique and temperament. His stance slightly opened to counter swing, and he allowed the ball closer to his body before timing through the gaps. Shot after shot echoed purpose — drives that pierced the ring, deflections that rotated the strike, and cuts that punished width with surgical efficiency.
Late resistance and a missed opportunity
Towards the tail end of the innings, Ollie Robinson and Root stretched the total further before Starc returned once more to dismantle England’s lower order. Starc removed Robinson and Mark Wood in quick succession, completing his sixth five-wicket haul in Ashes Tests. His final figures of 6 for 71 stood as proof of relentless effort and adaptation from both ends of the day.
However, Australia might rue dropped chances. Travis Head shelled a difficult low catch at gully when Root was on 72, while Alex Carey missed a thin edge off tailing Starc at 90. Those two lapses allowed Root to impose himself beyond containment and ensured England ended the day on a high.
When stumps were called at 325 for 9, the score looked both defiant and slightly fragile — depending on the next morning’s first hour. Yet, England’s dressing room was buoyant. Root, unbeaten, left the field acknowledging the modest yet vocal band of English supporters waving flags in Brisbane’s late-night breeze.
Starc’s day with the pink ball
While Root’s century dominated headlines, Starc’s brilliance ensured the contest remained alive. The left-armer’s understanding of handling the pink ball at the Gabba shone again — he extracted movement both ways without losing control. His early spells were fast and hostile; his evening spells were tactical and probing.
His dismissal of Stokes with a yorker at full tilt defined the passage where Australia clawed back control. Starc’s latest six-for joined his impressive pink-ball list at home, underlining why he remains one of Australia’s most lethal weapons in twilight conditions.
See also: Starc’s Stunning 7-Wicket Haul and Stokes’ Fightback Highlight Ashes Day One
Pat Cummins used him intelligently, rotating ends and bringing him back each time momentum appeared to slip. As Cummins noted later in the press conference, Starc “never needs a second invitation when the ball starts talking.â€
Root’s quiet triumph and England’s renewed spirit
For Joe Root, this innings transcended numbers. A century in Australia had eluded him across three tours, with near-misses haunting both career and narrative. The relief was visible — a smile more of contentment than celebration. His unbeaten 135 reminded spectators of his stature as one of modern Test cricket’s purest technicians.
It also settled England’s nerves in a venue where they were bowled out for 147 during their last Ashes visit. Root’s longevity throughout the day gave this young side a leader’s template — patience against pace, intelligence against movement, and belief against adversity.
If England’s bowling unit carries that same intensity with the pink ball in hand, the visitors might yet surprise under lights, exploiting conditions they often dread.
The view ahead
As Day Two awaits, both sides know the decisive shapes of the Test are yet to come. England, with 325 already on the board, will hope Anderson and Woakes can extract similar twilight movement that Starc weaponised so effectively. Early breakthroughs will be crucial — dismissing Warner and Labuschagne before the pink ball softens could dictate control.
Australia, meanwhile, will believe they’ve contained England below 350 — a manageable mark on a Gabba surface expected to firm up. If Smith and Head settle in, the hosts could erase the lead within a session. The Test, like the series, remains alive, balanced between Root’s redemption and Starc’s brilliance.
But on this first day back in action, the true victory belonged to Test cricket’s endurance — old adversaries locked once more in contest, skill, and story.
