Ashes: Root scores century

England scored at 5.03 runs per over on the opening day of the first Ashes Test. Zak Crawley sent out early signs of what was to come with a brutal cover drive of the very first delivery of the day’s play. Joe Root reverse-scooped Australia’s captain Pat Cummins and Scott Boland for sixes. Harry Brook got out in a freakish manner. Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali threw their wickets away to Nathan Lyon but had no regrets as they walked back. And to top it all, England declared after batting just 78 overs and when one of their greatest batter, Joe Root, was unbeaten on 118. The declaration, with the score on 393/8 and Root unbeaten on 118, should not necessarily surprise cricket-watchers. Conventional wisdom suggests that it could turn counter-intuitive. England did not achieve the desired result – Australia did not lose a wicket for 14 runs – and with the strip flat and bereft of lateral movement, the decision could come back to bite them.