Joe Root found himself back in the Ashes spotlight as England and Australia scrapped for control on day one of the first LV= Insurance Test at Edgbaston.
England were 240 for five at tea after batting first in friendly conditions, with Root’s unbeaten 66 coming at a crucial time for a side who were at risk of frittering away a vibrant start to this much-hyped contest.
Zak Crawley got the hosts up and running in emphatic fashion, drilling Australia captain Pat Cummins for four off the first ball of the series, and his dashing half-century looked to be dragging the contest away from the tourists.
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But he was dismissed for 61 off the last ball of the morning session and, by the time captain Ben Stokes was caught behind for a single, Australia had the upper hand at 176 for five.
It fell to Root to rebalance the scales and he played an understated gem of an innings, pairing with fellow Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow (33no) to put on 64 for the sixth wicket.
Their efforts left everything to play for in the evening, with Australia eager to roll their opponents over before stumps and England hoping their experienced middle-order duo would continue building a big foundation.
