ROOT FLAWS

ENGLAND’S last chance to win an Ashes Test this winter got off to a flier but ended in another Groundhog Day.

With pride and places on the line at the SCG,

Joe root led from the front as his team looked to bat themselves into a position of dominance on day one, and for the most part he did just that.

The captain and Dawid Malan added 133 as the Australia bowlers wilted.

But just as it seemed he would finally convert a fifty into a hundred, root also led from the front in repeating his errors from throughout the series.

With 10 minutes to play, England slipped from 228-3 to 233-5 when root and then Jonny Bairstow – who decided against a nightwatchman – fell and the day was Australia’s.

“It sums up where we’ve been on this tour,” said Malan. “We’ve been on top for so long in games, make one or two mistakes and suddenly we let the Aussies back in.

“It’s disappointing after rooty played so well to get us to that position. To be five down at the end of day one after all the hard work that went in isn’t ideal.”

Mark stoneman made 24 and was out to a short ball and James Vince got to 25 and had a wild slash at one outside off and edged behind. It is hard to see how he can survive as a Test match No.3.

root’s conversion rate has become something of a millstone and after reaching his 36th half century the look on his face as he clipped a halfvolley to square leg on 83 told its own story.

In came Bairstow – which surprised Australia. They were not the only ones. root stopped on his way to the pavilion for a chat to Bairstow which seemed to be about not using Mason Crane.

Bairstow lasted seven balls. “I was very surprised the nightwatchman didn’t come out,” said Aussie all-rounder Mitch Marsh.

“I’ve played three games and had Nathan Lyon padded up six times for me.”