England
were
skittled
for
147
on
the
opening
day
of
the
Ashes
and
problems
were
compounded
when
Travis
Head’s
152
guided
Australia
to
425,
the
hosts
boasting
a
278-run
first-innings
lead.
When
Rory
Burns
and
Haseeb
Hameed
were
dismissed
with
just
61
on
the
board
in
response,
Root’s
side
were
teetering
once
more
on
day
three
before
the
vital
partnership
between
the
England
captain
and
Malan.
The
pair
dug
deep
to
record
an
unbeaten
159-run
partnership,
with
Malan
six
behind
his
skipper,
who
reached
the
close
of
play
on
86
not
out
as
England
reduced
Australia’s
lead
to
58.
Malan,
who
flourished
in
Perth
during
the
last
Ashes
trip
before
losing
his
place
due
to
a
lack
of
form,
is
relishing
the
somewhat
unexpected
opportunity
of
facing
Australia
once
again.
“I
thought
I’d
never
play
another
Test
again,”
he
told
reporters.
“I
actually
said
to
Rooty
when
we
were
on
40
or
50
and
the
Barmy
Army
were
singing,
‘I’ve
really
missed
this’.”
“I’ve
missed
having
someone
trying
to
blow
my
head
off
all
the
time,
the
crowd
going
and
the
adrenaline
going,
playing
against
the
best
bowlers
going
around.
Test
cricket
is
the
pinnacle.
“To
be
able
to
stand
out
here
in
an
England
shirt.
I’m
so
proud
to
do
that.
Especially
to
do
it
here
at
The
Gabba
in
front
of
everyone.
It’s
just
really
good
fun.
“You
can
do
as
well
as
you
want
in
Twenty20
or
50-over
cricket,
but
you’re
judged
a
lot
by
your
Test
career
at
the
end
of
it.
For
us,
an
Ashes
series
is
the
biggest
series
of
our
calendar
so
to
come
here
and
get
runs
against
this
really
good
attack
is
very
satisfying.”
The
captain
@root66
has
set
a
new
record
for
the
most
Test
runs
in
a
calendar
year
from
an
England
batter!
๐ฅ
๐Machine.
#Ashes
|
๐ฆ๐บ
#AUSvENG
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ
pic.twitter.com/EwZXdn1C9Tโ
England
Cricket
(@englandcricket)
December
10,
2021
Root,
who
has
amassed
1,541
runs
in
a
prolific
2021,
moved
past
former
England
captain
Michael
Vaughan
(1,481
in
2002)
for
the
most
runs
in
a
calendar
year
for
his
country
in
Test
cricket.
While
hailing
the
work
of
his
skipper
โ
who
is
closing
in
on
a
maiden
century
in
Australia
โ
Malan
appreciated
England
are
still
in
a
difficult
position.
“The
job
isn’t
done
yet,
just
getting
an
80
doesn’t
mean
you’ve
made
it,
it’s
about
scoring
the
big
hundred
that
will
change
the
game,”
he
added.
“They
are
so
brilliant
at
closing
that
door
on
us.
We
need
one
more
good
100-run
partnership
to
put
a
score
on
the
board
and
then
who
knows
what
can
happen?
To
come
in
after
a
day
and
a
half
of
hard
fielding
and
do
what
we
did
here
was
fantastic,
but
thatโs
only
half
the
job.
“Joe’s
record
obviously
speaks
for
itself,
with
what
he’s
done
in
his
career.
Batting
with
him
is
great
because
he
takes
the
pressure
off
you,
always
looks
to
score
and
seems
to
find
a
way
of
putting
the
pressure
back
on
the
bowlers.
“It’s
a
great
sign
for
us
as
a
team
that
Joe
is
playing
so
well
and
leading
from
the
front.”
