Root’s Century Lifts England as Starc Shines with Six on Ashes Day 1

Joe Root’s Brilliant Century Leads England Past 300 Despite Starc’s Six-Wicket BurstNews Article:Brisbane: England’s star batter Joe Root produced a masterclass on Day 1 of the Ashes series, smashing an unbeaten century to guide his team to a strong total of 325/9 at stumps. While Root anchored the innings with determination, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc kept the hosts in the contest by claiming a superb six-wicket haul.Root, who had been waiting for a long time to score his first Ashes ton in Australia, finally achieved the milestone with a composed 135 off 202 balls*. He stitched crucial partnerships throughout the day—first with Zak Crawley, who struck an impressive 76, and later with the lower order, ensuring England crossed the 300-run mark.England’s innings, however, had its share of challenges. After a settled start, Jofra Archer’s dismissal opened the door for Australia, and Starc struck repeatedly, removing key batters such as Harry Brook and Ben Duckett. His sharp pace and movement troubled England throughout the day, making him the standout bowler for the hosts.Josh Inglis added to England’s worries when he produced a sharp run-out to send Ben Stokes back for 19, just when England looked to rebuild again.By the end of the day, Root continued to hold firm as England ended with nine wickets down, keeping hopes alive for adding a few more runs on Day 2. Australia will look to wrap up the innings quickly and begin their reply on what has been a fair batting surface.Brief Score:England 325/9 (Root 135, Crawley 76; Starc 6/71)* vs Australia –