Joe Root admitted luck was on his side after capitalising on a second-ball drop by the Australia wicketkeeper, Brad Haddin, to hit a seventh Test century that lit up a full-throttle first day of the Ashes series.
The right-hander’s 134 from 166 balls –his fifth hundred since the 5-0 whitewash series 18 months ago – helped turn England’s wobble at 43 for three into 343 for seven by stumps on day one of the first Ashes Test in Cardiff, with the tourists claiming four wickets in an evening-session fightback.
An ankle injury to the Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc, the seriousness of which will be determined following overnight treatment, means the balance of power remains open to interpretation. Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad are set to resume on 26 and nought respectively, with Root calling on the pair to back up his hard work.
“I’m really pleased with the way things have gone. I rode my luck at times, especially early on,” he said. “When they attack, that’s the best time to attack them because that’s where the gaps are. It’s not going to work every time but fortunately it did today. Hopefully it’s the first of a few and not just a one-off.”
Root was described by Josh Hazlewood, who took three for 70, as England’s most improved player since the last time the sides met, a compliment that was well received by the right-hander who went on to credit being stood down for the fifth Test on the 2013-14 tour as the reason behind his current form.
“That’s nice of him to say and it’s nice to get out there and get a big score, especially so early in the series, but we want to win back the Ashes and we have to back that up now. It’s going to be a really good contest and a really interesting series,” he said.
“Getting dropped was a feeling I don’t want to go through again but in this sport you have to deal with hard times. It shows self-belief and self-confidence. I feel in a really good place at the minute. I just keep things as simple as possible and take the positive option when I can.”
Asked who was in the ascendancy, Root replied: “It’s very hard to say, the very pleasing thing is we have got to this position and hopefully we can build on it in the morning. To look too far ahead would be silly. We are in the position we are, it’s important we get to 400 and past it if there is a chance to do so.”
Root, following the early removals of Adam Lyth, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell, joined the No3 Gary Ballance at the crease, who shrugged off his own struggle for runs with a hard-fought 61. The Yorkshire pair combined for a stand of 153 that included a wicketless afternoon session and helped wrestle back control.
“Gary’s innings was so important for us today – the mental strength he showed, the determination and the Yorkshire grit, if you like – the way he went about things was really pleasing,” Root said.
“It wasn’t pretty to watch at times but it was vital to us to get a decent position in the game. That’s why he’s so integral to our team and such an important part of our dressing room.”
Despite all the talk about sledging, the on-field relations between the sides did not hit boiling point although Starc, who claimed three for 84, did give Ben Stokes a send-off, putting his finger to his lips, after clean bowling the all-rounder for 52.
“I’m not too sure what that was about but Starcy got the last laugh,” Hazlewood said. “The way Root batted was pretty special. We’ll have to come back with a plan, or a couple of plans, to be able to nullify him over the rest of the series.”
He added: “I was pretty nervous but excited and was happy with how I went; I think the game’s level. I think we were good in patches and if you put the ball in right area there was enough [assistance].”
The Cardiff pitch attracted much criticism following the initial exchanges, with a number of deliveries bouncing twice before being taken by the wicketkeeper. The turgid surface negated the pace of Mitchell Johnson, the scourge of England in Australia 18 months ago, as he ended the opening day wicketless from his 20 overs.
“Johnson is a fine bowler but we played him extremely well,” Root said. “You have you give credit to us. I’m sure there will be times in the series when he will bowl well and hopefully we can handle it as we did today.
“It is a little bit slow, you see the first few balls not carry and think: ‘Oh God’. There might be variable bounce but if you bowl in the right areas and have good plans, that can be just as effective as lateral movement. Fingers crossed, we can start well with the new ball, get some breakthroughs and put them under pressure.”
