TWO DAYS TO SAVE ASHES
THE ASHES FOURTH TEST Root has tried to keep England afloat but they are still in deep water
Joe Root was battered and bruised yesterday as he tried desperately to keep england afloat at old Trafford — but he just could not steer his ship to safety.
Twice Root was felled by blows from Australia’s outstanding attack and twice he recovered to take big steps towards the century that could have put england in reach of the draw here that would keep the Ashes alive.
But just as the england captain looked to have overcome the worst the three-pronged pace attack could throw at him, he again fell within sight of three figures and this fourth Test swung dramatically in Australia’s favour.
When Root emerged in the second over of this third day, england were 25 for two and in danger of another sad collapse, with Australia producing pace and hostility on this flat old Trafford pitch where Jofra Archer and Co could find none.
Yet the england captain, with Rory Burns, followed the template he insisted had been laid down in the second innings at Headingley in a battling stand of 141 that did much to erase the memories of two of the worst days of his captaincy.
This was Root trying to right the wrongs of a horrible start to this Test which had seen him driven to distraction by his oddly underperforming attack and england wasting so much of their hard work at Headingley as a result.
And, when england had fought to 166 for two and survived a super spell of ten overs on the bounce either side of tea from Pat Cummins, it was possible to believe we were heading towards an oval Ashes shootout.
But it was then that Cummins, the world’s No 1 bowler, handed over to an equally formidable performer, Josh Hazlewood, at the Statham end and the whole complexion of the day and this series changed.
How Root had ridden the blows, firstly when he was hit in the groin by Mitchell Starc, then when Cummins struck him such a blow on his right knee that he looked in danger of retiring hurt. He had also got lucky when a regulation edge off Cummins on 54 flew between statuesque keeper Tim Paine and the equally passive David Warner at first slip.
It was the cue for Root to show he belongs in the same company as the world’s best batsmen by moving on to the century that would have been all but guaranteed had it been Steve Smith batting in the same situation.
Alas, he just could not do it as he was trapped in front on 71 in the middle of a three-wicket burst from Hazlewood that summed up Australia’s superiority and left the england captain again rueing his inability to go really big.
Burns had been equally defiant in batting better than when he
made a century at edgbaston and proving that england might finally have found an opener capable of filling Sir Alastair Cook’s shoes.
The Surrey captain is made of the right stuff and did so well against the short-pitched bowling that came his way that he looked set for another century to add to his three figures in the first Test and half century at Lord’s.
But Hazlewood probed away in the expert manner that has made him such an outstanding Ashes performer to have Burns fending to Smith in the slips on 81.
And when Jason Roy was undone by a beauty from Hazlewood, england were in trouble. only when the umpires decided the light was too bad, even though the floodlights were shining down brightly, why they could not have insisted on spin to keep play going was unclear, could england escape further punishment.
They will start the fourth day on 200 for five, still 297 behind, with much to do to get out of here with their Ashes hopes intact and with Australia near to completing the perfect comeback from their implosion at Headingley.
only when the lively old Trafford ‘party’ stand offered regular reminders to Nathan Lyon of the fumble that cost Australia the third Test by cheering every time he safely gathered the ball, were they forced to revisit their painful Leeds memories.
otherwise, this fourth Test has been a sobering time for an england team who are being forced to face up to their shortcomings at Test level by an Australia team who are simply playing much better. All is not lost and while Ben Stokes is at the crease, there must be hope of england at least scoring the 98 more runs they need to avoid the possibility of the follow on. But the reality is they have two more highly-challenging days ahead.
There appears uncertainty and disgruntlement in the england camp, from their dissatisfaction over the pitches to the mystery of why Archer, in particular, has not delivered the quality of bowling that Australia have.
And the sad reality for england is that none of their batsmen, not even Root, has the patience, application and sheer ability to produce anything like the innings with which Smith has made such an indelible mark on this Ashes.
Yesterday was not the day Australia clinched a first Ashes in england since 2001, but the day when they proved they are better. only another miracle from Stokes might be enough to save england.