Sydney, Jan 5 (IANS) England’s batting mainstay Joe Root once again underlined his mastery of the Ashes as he gone level with Ricky Ponting in equal-third in the all-time men’s Test century list, bringing up his 41st hundred on day two of the Sydney Test.

Root equalled Ponting’s total of 41 Test centuries, doing so in fewer matches. Ponting achieved the feat across 168 Tests between 1995 and 2012, while Root reached the same mark in his 163rd appearance since debuting against India in Nagpur in December 2012. The knock was also the first international century of the 2026 calendar year.

It’s the second century for Root on the tour who had curiously not reached the magical mark in 14 Test matches held in Australia before the current series.

Beginning Day 2 on 72, the 35-year-old occupied the crease throughout the morning session, guiding England to 272 for 5. He struck 11 boundaries while confidently managing an Australian attack featuring Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Cameron Green and Neser.

Before this tour, he had never scored an international hundred on Australian soil. That narrative changed earlier in the series when he produced an unbeaten 138 in the Brisbane day-night Test, and the Sydney effort marked his maiden red-ball hundred at the SCG, highlighting his growing influence as the series progressed.

Root’s stay at the crease was built on substantial partnerships that gradually blunted Australia’s bowlers. He shared a 169-run stand with Harry Brook that spanned late on Day 1 and the opening stages of Day 2. That was followed by a 94-run partnership with Jamie Smith, which further tested the hosts before Smith fell shortly before lunch.

A seventh-wicket stand of 52 with Will Jacks kept England pushing towards a commanding total, but Jacks’ dismissal sparked a late collapse, and the visitors were eventually dismissed for 384.

While Root remained at the crease, England looked well set to surpass the 400-run mark. Australia finally found relief through a moment of brilliance from Neser. Bowling the opening delivery of the 98th over, he extracted extra bounce that caught Root by surprise, the ball striking high on the bat as Root attempted a flick.

Neser reacted instantly, sprinting across and diving to his right to complete a superb one-handed catch that brought an end to Root’s resistance.

On the third delivery of the over, Neser picked Josh Tongue as England closed their first innings with 384 runs on board.

–IANS

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