Duo to the rescue as England fight back
Root's 86 and Malan's 80, both unbeaten, give visitors hope of salvaging first Ashes Test
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BRISBANE • Captain Joe Root and Dawid Malan scored defiant half-centuries in a stirring, unbeaten partnership, as England rallied from a position of peril on a see-sawing day three of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba yesterday.
Coming together at 61 for two, the duo pushed England to 220 for two at stumps, having cut Australia's lead to 58 runs and raised a sliver of hope of saving a cricket match that looked beyond them by the end of day two.
Root was 86 not out and No. 3 Malan on 80 in a 159-run stand that thwarted Australia's bowlers for much of two sessions after the hosts were bowled out for 425.
"Brilliant," said Malan. "We were staring down the barrel a bit after the first day and the way they batted was superb.
"So to get us into this position today has been fantastic, it gives us a little bit of hope that if we can bat through tomorrow, we can post a score (and) we can potentially bowl them out."
Along the way, Root set an England record for the most Test runs in a calendar year, reaching 1,541 to eclipse former skipper Michael Vaughan's 2002 mark of 1,481.
He now has three of England's top five calendar-year totals, with 1,477 in 2016 and 1,385 in 2015.
Malan said of his captain: "Joe Root obviously speaks for himself with what he's done in his career. Batting with him is great. He takes the pressure off you."
Australia's Nathan Lyon put in a big 24-over shift but the spinner finished the day still wicket-less for the match and one short of his milestone 400th victim.
There were other worries for the hosts, with opener David Warner staying off-field with bruised ribs after taking blows during his first-innings 94 but the team are staying focused.
"Our feeling in the dressing room is very calm," batsman Marnus Labuschagne added. "Test cricket is a grind, it's meant to be hard.
1,541
Test runs in a calendar year by Joe Root, an England record.
"For us, it's just a day in the office and (we) review our plans. Come up with some ideas and get those last eight wickets."
REUTERS
