Joe Root and Harry Brook shared in England’s highest partnership of the series to put the tourists on top after a storm-affected first day of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.
Root (72no) and Brook (78no) each hit half centuries in an unbroken 154-run stand that led an England recovery from 57-3 to 211-3 by tea, before the final session fell foul of the weather.
Root was typically calm and composed at the crease in notching his 67th Test fifty, while Brook was a touch more frenetic en route to his 15th half century.
Between them, they tamed an Australian attack featuring no specialist spinner at the SCG for the first time since 1888, with Beau Webster preferred to off-spin option Todd Murphy.
Fellow all-rounder Cameron Green’s poor series continued as he, in particular, was targeted by Root and Brook, with 57 runs plundered from his opening eight overs.
England too opted against picking a frontline spinner, with Shoaib Bashir again overlooked for the extra batting depth provided by part-timer Will Jacks, while Matthew Potts was brought in for the injured Gus Atkinson in the only change to the victorious team from Melbourne.
Ben Stokes won a fourth toss in five and elected to make first use of a green-tinged pitch but one that has proven far more batter-friendly than the much-maligned MCG track that produced a two-day Test match.
England’s top order was, however, swept aside once more in the morning session as, after an encouraging start by Ben Duckett (27), he departed when edging Mitchell Starc (1-53) behind.
Ben Duckett started positively before being dismissed for 27 by Mitchell Starc
Zak Crawley (16) was pinned lbw by Michael Neser (1-36) soon after, before Scott Boland (1-48) got Jacob Bethell (10) with the ball of the day in the next over, nipping one away and inducing an edge from the young left-hander.
It left England wobbling on 57-3, but Root and Brook bailed the tourists out of trouble with their superb century stand before the circling storm clouds signalled an early tea and a premature end to the day’s play.
Root did survive an early lbw appeal, while Brook had minor scares off both edges before he got going. But they soon
found some rhythm, albeit Brook would have had his heart in his mouth when, on 45, he toe-ended a pull off Starc that landed agonisingly between three converging catchers.
Unfazed, Brook went on the hook again later in the afternoon session but this time swatted a Green short ball emphatically into the stands for six.
Australia were glad of the break when bad light signalled an early tea, the ominous looking clouds eventually bringing a downpour that would wash out the evening and trigger an earlier 11pm (UK) start to day two.
Ashes series in Australia 2025-26
Australia lead five-match series 3-1
