Joe Root broke yet another record as he and Dawid Malan restored some much needed pride to England’s Ashes campaign on day three.
On the first truly competitive day of the match, England fought back manfully with the bat through an unbroken partnership of 159 between their numbers three and four.
The duo faced down Australia’s powerhouse bowling attack on a gloriously sunny day at the Gabba that finally could reflect a happier mood in the England dressing room.
By the time they walked back towards the smiling faces of their teammates they had reduced an initial deficit of 278 down to just 58, with the scoreboard reading 220-2.
And with Root easing past Michael Vaughan’s 2002 tally of 1481 to set a new bar for the most runs by an Englishman in a calendar year just after tea, the skipper had every right to feel like this series was now up and running after such a horror start.
Root remains 86 not out, a far more familiar figure next to his name. It is his seventh half century in Australia, but surely now, the precursor to his first Ashes ton overseas.
Malan already has one of those, but with 20 more required he will have his eye on a second triple figure score Down Under and it would be perfect timing if it arrives on day four as part of a truly giant third innings.
That looked little more than a pipe dream when both Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed had been removed by Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc respectively.
They were still 217 runs behind when Root arrived, but he set about his innings in a proactive positive style and with Malan growing in confidence, the two proved to be the perfect foils for each other.
The shiny Kookaburra ball had stopped moving sideways, and the heat and the overs were starting to take their toll on the Aussie bowlers in the same way they had done on England’s the day before.
And even if they weren’t quite as aggressive towards spinner Nathan Lyon as the home batsmen had been towards Jack Leach, they were hardly troubled by his hunt for his 400th Test.
Former skipper turned BT Sport pundit Sir Alastair Cook said: “It was fantastic batsmanship by this pair, rotating the strike and putting the Aussie bowlers under pressure.
“Joe has been brilliant again as he has been all year. He has been his usual busy self and that has been great to watch.
“Malan has really impressed me with the way he’s played Lyon. He is so good against left handers, but Malan has played him so well and it has been largely risk free cricket. That is huge credit to him.”
Earlier in the day Australia managed to extend their first innings total to 425 before Travis Head was the last man out for 152, clean bowled by Mark Wood.
Wood finished with 3-85 and got rid of the last two wickets efficiently enough, but not before Starc’s 35 had helped Head add 85 for the eighth wicket on another awkward morning for England.
Despite their sore bodies, they got the job done to clear the way for the batsmen to try and make amends for their first innings howlers.
Burns avoided his worst nightmare and got himself on the scoreboard, but even though he managed to look far better at the crease, he could only make 13 as he edged a ball that got big on him and was edged behind.
Hameed looked even better at the other end, but having glance the ball effectively down the legside on a few occasions, he got his timing slightly wrong and offered a catch to the keeper when he had made 27.
From then on it was the Root and Malan show, showing that the Aussies are going to have to work a little harder than they might initially have though if they want to keep hold of the urn.
Aussie legend Shane Warne added: “It’s been a great fightback from England. They’ve got stuck in and they needed to do this. They’ve played very well and it has been a real captain’s knock from Joe Root.”
