5th Ashes Test: Root, Head's batting brilliance headline Day 2
What's the story
Remarkable knocks from Travis Head and Joe Root headlined the second day of the fifth and final Ashes Test match between Australia and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Root scored an impressive 160 runs, helping his team post a total of 384 before being bowled out by tea. Australia's response was steady, with the hosts ending Day 2 at 166/2 in their first innings. Travis Head's unbeaten 91 led the charge for the hosts.
1st innings
Root leads the charge for the Brits
Resuming the day at 211/3, England lost the well-set Harry Brook (84) within the first 30 minutes. Ben Stokes also departed for a duck. However, Root continued the good work from one end and took the total past 300. He formed 50-plus stands with Will Jacks (27) and Jamie Smith (46) en route to his ton. Root went down as the ninth batter as the England innings ended at 384/10.
Game progress
Australia's response to the challenging total
Australia started their innings on a positive note with openers Jake Weatherald and Travis Head putting up a 57-run partnership. However, Weatherald was dismissed LBW by Ben Stokes for just 21. Head then partnered with Marnus Labuschagne as the duo added a quickfire 105 runs before Labuschagne was dismissed. At stumps on Day 2, Australia were at a comfortable position of 166/2. While Head was unfazed on 91, nightwatchman Michael Neser (1* off 15) also did a fine job.
Root
Root equals Ricky Ponting
Root's 160 off 242 balls was laced with 15 fours. He has equaled Australian legend Ricky Ponting in terms of the batter with the third-most Test tons, as per ESPNcricinfo. The second-highest run-getter in Test history, Root has completed 13,937 runs in the format while averaging 51.23. 2,822 of his runs have come in the Ashes at 41.50 (100s: 6, 50s: 18). This was his second hundred of the ongoing series.
FC feat
Root gets to 19,000 First-Class runs
Root, who entered the game with 18,923 FC runs under his belt, has now raced to 19,083 runs at an average of 50-plus. This was his 55th hundred in red-ball cricket. Meanwhile, Root now has 17 scores of 150 or more in Test cricket. Only Tendulkar (20), West Indies's Brian Lara (19), Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (19), and Australia's Don Bradman (18) are ahead of him on the list.
Brook
Brook gets to his sixth Ashes half-century
Brook hammered six fours and a six en route to his 97-ball 84. He has raced to 3,136 Test runs at an average of 55.01. This includes 10 tons and 15 half-centuries. As far as the Ashes is concerned, Brook has scored 679 runs from 10 matches at 39.94. Playing his maiden Test series Down Under, the batter has managed 316 runs at 39.50. Brook scored his second fifty of the tour.
Neser
Neser claims yet another four-fer in Ashes 2025-26
The pick of the Aussie bowlers in the first innings, Neser ended with figures worth 4/60 from 18.3 overs. The pacer had claimed a fifer in the second Test of the ongoing series before being left out of the third game. He bounced back with a four-fer in the preceding game. Having bowled another fine spell, Neser has raced 21 wickets from five Tests at an average of 17.19. 16 of his wickets have come in the Ashes at 19.06.
Starc vs Stokes
Starc surpasses Ashwin by dismissing Stokes yet again
Star Australian pacer Mitchell Starc trapped England Test captain Ben Stokes for a duck. With this dismissal, Starc has now dismissed Stokes a total of 14 times across 30 Test innings. He has become the most successful Test bowler against Stokes in the longest format. Meanwhile, eight of Stokes's dismissals against Starc have been recorded Down Under - the most for any bowler. In the ongoing series, Starc dismissed the southpaw for the fifth time.
Labuschagne
Labuschagne gets to 12,500 runs in First-Class cricket
Labuschagne slammed seven fours en route to his 68-ball 48. The star batter has raced past 12,500 (now 12,547) First-Class runs at an average of 44-plus. 4,657 of his runs have come across 63 Tests as he averages 44.77. Versus England in The Ashes, he owns 1,238 runs from 19 Tests at 37.51. In the ongoing series, the batter has managed 222 runs from nine innings at 27.75.
Head
Head heading toward another ton
Head continued to demolish the England attack as he took just 87 balls for his 91*. The southpaw is racing toward his third hundred of the series. While he now has over 520 runs in Ashes 2025-26 at a 60-plus average, no other batter has even managed to touch the 400-run mark. He has scored these runs while striking at 87-plus. Head is now nine runs away from his 12th Test ton and 4,500 Test runs.
Bowlers
How did the bowlers fare on the day?
While Neser was the pick of the Aussie bowlers, Starc (2/93) and Scott Boland (2/85) made two strikes each. Cameron Green (1/85) and part-timer Labuschagne (1/14) also had success. From the England camp, both wickets on the day went to captain Stokes, who finished with 2/30 from 8.1 overs. The pace trioka of Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue failed to strike.