Root, Brook steady England on curtailed opening day at SCG

Joe Root and Harry Brook led England's recovery on a rain-hit opening day of the final Ashes Test at the SCG. After England slipped to 57 for 3, the pair added an unbroken 154-run stand for the fourth wicket to take the visitors past 200. However, only 45 overs were possible as bad light and rain forced an early close, with England finishing on 211 for 3.

After opting to bat, England reached Lunch at 114 for 3. The opening half-hour saw Ben Duckett hit five boundaries off Mitchell Starc before edging him behind. Wickets then fell in a cluster around the drinks break: Zak Crawley was trapped lbw by a sharp in-seamer from Michael Neser, and Jacob Bethell nicked Scott Boland soon after.

From there, Root and Brook steadied the innings with a measured, largely untroubled stand. Australia's seamers struggled for sustained accuracy, allowing the pair to settle. Root played late and with soft hands, while Brook mixed caution with the odd flourish, including a crisp extra-cover drive off Cameron Green.

Bad light brought an early Tea, with Root and Brook having firmly wrested control. On a surface offering little, they batted through Australia's seam-heavy plans with growing authority. Root raised his fifty with minimal fuss, while Brook brought up his own half-century with a flashing drive and later launched Green for a towering pull.

Australia tried rotating their quicks and short-ball tactics, but beyond Starc's sporadic menace, there was little sustained threat. Brook's progress included a top-edged pull that dropped safely and a few ambitious slashes, but these were absorbed within an otherwise commanding display. Root, by contrast, barely put a foot wrong, consistently picking gaps.

As clouds gathered and light deteriorated, the umpires brought out the light meter, drawing boos before Tea was taken early with rain threatening. The third session was delayed by poor light before rain set in, and no further play was possible, with Stumps called an hour early.

Brief scores: England 211/3 (Harry Brook 78*, Joe Root 72*; Michael Neser 1-36) vs Australia.