Joe Root's unbeaten 135 guided England to a competitive 279-9 at stumps on the opening day of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, after the visitors had been in trouble at 114-5. The former captain's 12th Test century against Australia, and his first on Australian soil, came off 184 balls and included 14 boundaries.
Root found an unlikely ally in Jofra Archer, who smashed 32 not out from 21 balls, including a massive six, to add 61 for the final wicket. Archer's quickfire knock, his highest Test score, helped England recover from 218-9 after Mitchell Starc had ripped through the lower order.
Starc was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 4-66, claiming the wickets of Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson, and Brydon Carse. Scott Boland also impressed, removing Smith and Will Jacks, while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were economical.
Earlier, England had struggled after winning the toss, with only Root and Stokes (42) offering substantial resistance. The captain was run out by a brilliant throw from Josh Inglis, sparking a collapse that saw three wickets fall for 14 runs. However, Root's composure and Archer's aggression swung the momentum back England's way as they look to level the series after losing the first Test in Perth.
