England finished a heavily truncated opening day of the Ashes finale in a far healthier position than early signs suggested, reaching 211 for 3 at stumps after being reduced to 57 for 3 on a green-tinged SCG surface. Joe Root (72*) and Harry Brook (78*) combined for an unbroken 154-run partnership that shifted momentum decisively England’s way on a day repeatedly interrupted by rain and lightning.
Only 45 overs were possible, but the contest already hinted at a longer-lasting Test than the whirlwind two-day affairs witnessed earlier in the series in Perth and Melbourne. As conditions eased and the pitch settled, batting became noticeably more straightforward, allowing England’s two premier batters to assert control.
Much of the pre-match focus had been on the SCG pitch and curator Adam Lewis, following heavy criticism directed at Melbourne’s surface earlier in the summer. This time, Lewis left just 5mm of grass on the wicket, half of what was seen at the MCG, and early signs suggest he may avoid similar scrutiny. Instead, attention could turn toward Australia’s selection decisions—most notably the omission of offspinner Todd Murphy.
Australia took the field without a specialist spinner for the first time since 1888, opting instead for seam-bowling allrounder Beau Webster in place of Jhye Richardson. While the SCG has gradually moved away from its spin-friendly reputation, the lack of variety in Australia’s attack became evident as Root and Brook settled in during the afternoon session.
All three frontline quicks struck early, but once the ball softened, Australia struggled to maintain pressure. Cameron Green, whose place in the side had already been debated, endured a difficult day, conceding 57 runs from eight wicketless overs and repeatedly failing to find a consistent length.
Earlier, England captain Ben Stokes again won the toss and chose to bat, a decision that raised eyebrows given his preference for bowling first earlier in the tour—a tactic that had delivered success at the MCG. His decision appeared questionable when England’s top order faltered under persistent seam movement, losing three wickets for just 18 runs midway through the first session.
Ben Duckett was the exception initially, taking advantage of unusually loose bowling from Mitchell Starc. Duckett struck five boundaries in under four overs and raced to 27 from 23 balls, continuing the momentum from his valuable cameo in Melbourne. Alongside Zak Crawley, he looked set for a rare substantial opening stand before Starc adjusted his length. Duckett, unable to resist, pushed at a ball outside off stump and was well caught by Alex Carey.
Jacob Bethell, impressive on debut in Melbourne, again showed composure, playing cautiously amid movement off the seam. He opened his account only on his 15th delivery, cutting Starc through backward point, but England’s problems continued. Crawley fell lbw to a full delivery from Michael Neser, and Bethell soon edged Scott Boland after the seamer switched to bowling over the wicket.
At 57 for 3, familiar fears of another collapse loomed. However, Root and Brook responded with maturity, ensuring England reached lunch without further damage. Root survived a nervy first ball that narrowly missed the edge before settling into his rhythm, scoring freely behind square on the off side in trademark fashion.
Brook, typically ultra-aggressive, showed unusual restraint. His first boundary came via a top edge over the slips, but he largely resisted Australia’s attempts to draw him into mistakes outside off stump. After lunch, both batters accelerated smoothly. Root reached his half-century from 65 balls—just his second score past 40 in the series—while Brook followed with a 63-ball fifty, counter-attacking effectively when Australia resorted to short-pitched bowling.
A brief scare came when Brook, on 45, top-edged Starc into open space on the leg side, but he quickly regrouped, punishing Webster to underline England’s growing dominance. As clouds closed in and light deteriorated, play was eventually halted, and despite conditions later improving, stumps were called early.
England also opted against selecting spinner Shoaib Bashir, leaving him unused throughout the series, while seamer Matthew Potts made his first appearance of the Ashes after replacing the injured Gus Atkinson.
By day’s end, England had not only recovered but seized control, leaving Australia searching for answers—and perhaps wishing they had packed a spinner.
