Root hits century, Starc clinches six

England’s Joe Root conquered his final frontier with a first Ashes century in Australia as the tourists pushed past 300 on Day 1 of the second Test here on Thursday despite a six-wicket haul from pace spearhead Mitchell Starc.

- Reuters

Root marched off unbeaten on 135 off 202 balls, his 40th Test ton helping England to 325/9 at stumps, the tourists marginally in front after their captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat in the day-night match.

No.ll batter Jofra Archer chipped in a handy 32 not out in an unbroken 61-run partnership for the final wicket, while Zak Crawley shrugged off a pair of ducks from Perth to score a valuable 76. Crawley combined with Root in a 117-run stand to rally England after Starc reduced them to 5/2 in a shocking start, with opener Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope falling for ducks in the space of four balls.