After just 45 overs were bowled due to rain and lightning, Joe Root and Harry Brook put together an unbroken 154-run partnership, the second-highest partnership of the series for either team, to guarantee that England ended the series in a respectable position.
Given Sydney’s yearly unpredictable weather and Root and Brook’s cautious batting, this match will undoubtedly last much longer than the two-day Tests in Perth and Melbourne.
After watching his colleague Matt Page endure a public grilling following the Boxing Day Test, SCG curator Adam Lewis was under so much pressure that he only left 5mm of grass on the ground, which is half the length of the infamous furry MCG surface.
After choosing not to choose offspinner Todd Murphy, Australia’s selectors are expected to come under scrutiny instead of Lewis. For the first time since 1888, Australia entered the SCG field without a specialist spinner when seam bowling all-rounder Beau Webster took the place of quick Jhye Richardson.
Recent seasons have seen a significant shift in the ground’s qualities away from its spin-friendly traditions. However, Australia’s attack lacked diversity during the afternoon, and captain Steven Smith likely wished he could use Murphy with Root and Brook in total control.
Although all-rounder Cameron Green, whose spot in the team was seriously questioned, battled to hit the appropriate length and concluded with 0 for 57 from 8 overs, the three frontline quicks each took a wicket.
While Root played in his signature manner by scoring heavily behind square on the off side, Brook was generally cautious by his usual but did respond when Green used a short-ball technique.
Naturally, England hoped that their two top batsmen could have formed such a partnership earlier in the series, but the tourists have gotten off to a strong start in their pursuit of a second straight consolation win.
After the coin again landed in his favour, captain Ben Stokes decided to bat in the bright and muggy morning conditions, which was a comfort given the bleak forecast. Given his tendency to bowl first prior to this tour, which had served as the impetus for England’s triumph at the MCG, it was possibly another odd choice.
After losing 3 for 18 in the middle of the first session as England’s top-order struggled with seam movement on a green-tinged surface, his mood would have deteriorated.
Ben Duckett, the opener, had gorged himself on atypically ragged bowling from his adversary Mitchell Starc prior to the collapse, hitting five boundaries in less than four overs.
Duckett seemed to be maintaining the momentum from his crucial second-innings cameo at the MCG following a disastrous series on the pitch and some embarrassing antics off it.
As he and Zak Crawley seemed headed for a budding partnership that had never made it to the eighth over in the series, Duckett struck Starc for consecutive boundaries to roll to 27 in 23 balls.
However, Duckett could not resist tamely nudging a flying Alex Carey once Starc finally discovered the ideal length. After making an impression during his Ashes debut at the MCG, Jacob Bethell was composed and cautious of Scott Boland’s sporadic excessive seam movement.
Although there was a break from the customary misery for England’s batters, Bethell did not open his account until his fifteenth ball, when he sliced Starc through backward point for a boundary.
Crawley’s most recent teasing ended when he fell leg before wicket (lbw) to a full delivery from Michael Neser after swiping a short ball to the fence. Bethell then nicked off to Boland, who had moved over the wicket.
At this point, the hierarchy of Cricket Australia was undoubtedly anxiously watching, and there were fears of another chaotic innings. However, England steadied by lunchtime because to the sensible batting of Root and Brook.
Root’s problems in Australia have largely persisted throughout this series, even if he got rid of the monkey on his back following his outstanding performance in Brisbane. Even though he nearly died on the initial delivery, this was a great chance to settle down for the long run.
After top-edging Boland over the slips, Brook’s first boundary was predictably less conventional, but he got off to a great start with his next try at his signature cover drive.
However, in stark contrast to his crazy 41 in the first innings at the MCG, Brook was then strangely cautious. By settling into a length outside off stump, Australia’s assault attempted to lure him, but Brook largely controlled his aggressive tendencies.
Having started each of his opening innings this series, he had his sights set on a late conversion.
He also found himself in a good rhythm with Root, who after lunch hit 40 for just the second time in the series.
On a slowing surface, Australia lacked motivation and turned to a short-ball strategy in the hopes that Brook would grow impatient. When Brook fortunately top-edged Starc into a space on the leg-side on 45, everything nearly went according to plan. Starc then rallied and hit Webster for a boundary to reach a half-century off 63 balls.
It came after Root’s half-century off 65 balls, and the two seemed destined to bat the entire session until the dense clouds began to encroach on the ground. Before the weather worsened, play was suspended owing to poor light; it did eventually clear up, but stumps was called instead.
Because England chose not to select Shoaib Bashir, their recent first-choice spinner did not play in the entire series. After Gus Atkinson was sidelined due to a hamstring injury sustained in the fourth Test, seamer Matthew Potts is making his series debut.
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