England began the second Ashes Test under real pressure after a heavy defeat in Perth. Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat first under the pink ball in Brisbane. The decision looked risky almost immediately. Mitchell Starc struck with the first ball of the match to bowl Ben Duckett for a duck. A few minutes later he bowled Ollie Pope for another duck. England were 5 for 2 and in deep trouble. The Australian attack looked sharp, and the crowd sensed a collapse.
Zak Crawley and Joe Root then changed the mood. They took their time and played with control. Crawley reached his half-century with confident drives and cuts. Root started slowly but grew steadier as the ball softened. The pair added 93 runs together and took England to 98 for 2 at tea. Crawley looked set for a big innings but later fell for 76 after doing much of the hard work. His innings gave England the platform they badly needed.
Root continued to anchor the innings. As the evening session started, he began to score more freely. He moved through the seventies and eighties with calm strokes. In the 66th over he flicked Scott Boland to the boundary to reach his first Test century in Australia. It was a major moment in his career. Before this Test he had played 16 matches and 30 innings in Australia without reaching three figures. This hundred ended that long wait. Root kept going and finished the day unbeaten on 135, playing one of his finest Ashes innings.
England’s middle order did not offer the same resistance. Harry Brook made 31 before falling to a good catch. Ben Stokes was run out for 19 after a misjudged single. Jamie Smith was bowled for a duck. Will Jacks also struggled and went cheaply. The innings began to slide again, and England looked likely to fall short of 300.
Jofra Archer revived the innings with fearless hitting at number eleven. He scored 32 not out from 26 balls. He struck clean boundaries and pushed singles to give Root the strike. Their last-wicket partnership lifted England past 300 and frustrated the Australian bowlers. England ended the day on 325 for 9, a remarkable recovery after the disastrous start.
Starc remained the main threat for Australia. He took important wickets with the new ball and later returned to break partnerships. His spell also took him past Wasim Akram to become the most successful left-arm fast bowler in Test history. Australia, however, missed the control of a spinner. They left out Nathan Lyon and played four seamers. That choice looked good in the first hour but less convincing once Crawley and Root settled.
England will feel proud to have reached 325 for 9 from 5 for 2. Root’s century, Crawley’s strong start, and Archer’s late burst turned a poor beginning into a strong position. Australia still have a chance if they strike early on day two, but England hold the momentum after a brave fightback.
