Brisbane, Dec 4 (NationPress) Joe Root has finally secured his first Test century on Australian soil, while Mitchell Starc achieved another six-wicket haul. The opening day of the second Test in the Ashes series at the Gabba in Brisbane saw England and Australia share the honours in this thrilling Day/Night encounter.

Root, who faced a challenging moment on his third delivery when Steve Smith couldn't capitalize on a potential catch at second slip, concluded the day unbeaten on 135 alongside Jofra Archer, who contributed 32 runs. After opting to bat first, England finished the day at 325/9, showcasing a captivating day of cricket in this five-Test Ashes series. The 34-year-old right-handed batsman, who has faced considerable scrutiny for not scoring a century in Australia previously, has now marked a significant milestone in his illustrious career.

He reached his landmark 40th Test century, achieving it off 181 balls with 11 fours, as he anchored the innings for England, recovering from a shaky start at 5/2 after both Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope fell for ducks against Starc, who has been Australia’s standout bowler in the series.

In a surprising move, the Australian team opted to provide Pat Cummins more time to recuperate by dropping spinner Nathan Lyon for a fast-bowling lineup. Starc made an immediate impact by dismissing Duckett for a first-ball duck, his 26th wicket in the opening over of a Test, and followed that by knocking over Pope for another duck.

With this performance, Starc eclipsed Wasim Akram to become the highest wicket-taker among left-arm pacers in cricket history, raising his tally to 416 wickets.

Root, serving as the backbone of the innings, partnered with opener Zak Crawley to elevate England to 122 runs before Crawley was caught behind off Michael Neser. Crawley, who scored 76 runs off 68 balls, and Root forged a significant 117-run partnership for the third wicket.

The experienced batsman balanced caution and aggression, collecting most of his boundaries from exquisite straight drives when the ball was over-pitched. He executed his signature glides, primarily directed from under his nose, though most resulted in no runs.

Harry Brook (31) and captain Ben Stokes added valuable runs with Root, but could not capitalize on their starts, with England soon reeling at 219/5, particularly after Stokes was run out due to a mix-up with Root. Jamie Smith went for a duck while Will Jacks managed only 19 runs off 31 balls. Gus Atkinson (4) and Brydon Carse fell cheaply to Starc, who completed his six-wicket haul as England slid to 264. The team lost five wickets for just 54 runs during this period, driven by another collapse instigated by Starc.

Nevertheless, Root remained steadfast. He reached his hundred off 181 balls, adorned with 11 boundaries, and formed a crucial partnership with Jofra Archer (32 not out), as they added 61 runs for the unbeaten 10th wicket in just 7.2 overs.

While the Australians may take solace in having claimed nine England wickets, they will be eager to bounce back on the second day. However, the opening day of the Pink-ball Test undoubtedly belonged to Root, who overcame a mental barrier to score his first century on Australian turf, helping England to a robust total as they aim to level the series following a disappointing two-day defeat in the first match.

Brief scores:

England 325/9 in 74 overs (Joe Root 135 not out, Zak Crawley 76, Jofra Archer 32 not out; Mitchell Starc 6-71) against Australia.