With this hundred, Joe Root now moves to the fourth position for the most number of centuries in Test cricket and is now part of an elite club of players to have 40 or more Test hundreds.

AUS vs ENG 2nd Ashes Test: Far better than your average Joe

Openers Jack Weatherald and Travis Head laid a solid foundation with a 77-run stand, with Weatherald registering his maiden Test fifty. Marnus Labuschagne continued the momentum with a composed half-century

Ashes 2025-26: Australia take control of Brisbane Test with 44-run lead

Hazlewood's latest injury does not bode well for Australia who are dealing with multiple such scenarios in the ongoing Ashes. The hosts are already without regular skipper Pat Cummins who has also not played the first two Tests but is hopeful of playing in Adelaide.

More woes for Australia! Josh Hazlewood picks up Achilles soreness during rehab from hamstring injury


Starc’s 6 for 71 marked his sixth five-wicket haul in day-night Tests, the most by any bowler. He now owns 87 wickets with the pink ball, far ahead of Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins on 43 each

Starc says Akram still pinnacle of left-arm pace despite becoming highest Test wicket-taker

By the end of the day, Root had moved to 135 not out, while Archer made a career-best 32. Their stand of 61 was England’s first tenth-wicket fifty in Australia since 1982 and their first in any Ashes Test since 2023.

Ashes 2025-26: Zak Crawley praises England’s late surge as Root and Archer shine in Brisbane

Australia went for all pace attack, replacing Lyon with Michael Neser, for the day-night Test while England picked up spin all-rounder Will Jacks to replaced injured Mark Wood as only change in their playing XI from Perth loss.

Ashes 2025-26: Lyon 'letting things settle down in my own head' after being dropped from pink-ball Brisbane Test

Left-arm pacers are unique and have troubled batters across generations. Let’s take a look at the top five left-arm pacers with the most wickets in Test cricket.

5 left-arm pacers with most Test wickets: Starc goes past Akram, check others

Starc now has 415 Test wickets after claiming three-for in England's first innings on Thursday (Dec 4) at the Gabba, one more than Akram's 414 and 100+ more than next Aussie best Mitchell Johnson's 313. 

Ashes 2025-26: Better than Wasim Akram! Starc is now BEST left-arm pacer in Test cricket

The idea behind not picking up Bashir could be Test being played by pink ball where spinners have played historically a lesser role. Stokes also said that if they were to select a proper spinner then England would have gone with Bashir.

Ashes 2025-26: 'If we wanted out best spinner then Bashir would have played,' says Stokes on picking Will Jacks for Brisbane Test

While Australia is yet to name the playing XI for the second Ashes Test, the visitors named theirs on Tuesday (Dec 2), bringing in Will Jacks for Mark Wood.

Ashes, Gabba Test: Pat Cummins' shock return on cards as AUS delay naming XI

Stokes said being under the microscope was part and parcel of being on tour in Australia, and he was not letting it get to him.

‘Australia is the best country…,’ Stokes on enjoying life Down Under amid crushing Ashes start

England trail the series 1-0 after having lost the opening Test in Perth by eight wickets inside the opening two days

Ashes 2025-26: Aussie opener Khawaja out of Brisbane Test - Who will open now?

Amid concerns around Usman Khawaja's fitness and form, Travis Head leads race to open in the second Test at the Gabba.

Ashes, 2nd Test: ‘I am preparing for anything,’ Travis Head on opening alongside Khawaja

Joe Root got out cheaply across both innings in the first Ashes Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth. 

Joe Root questions need for pink-ball Ashes Tests amid dry run Down Under

As revealed by media reports on Saturday (Nov 29), Mark Wood will miss the pink-ball Test in Gabba, which starts on Thursday, while Josh Tongue could be a like-for-like replacement. 

Ashes 2025-26: Mark Wood set to miss pink-ball Test in Gabba, Josh Tongue likely to feature - Report

Australia have named the same 14-man squad for the second match which they had announced for the Perth Test. The hosts are currently leading the series 1-0. Opening batter Usman Khawaja, who could not open in any of the Perth Test innings because of back spasm, has retained his place.

Ashes 2025-26: Cummins misses as Australia name unchanged 14-man squad for Brisbane Test

England’s record in Brisbane is one of the toughest hurdles they’ve faced in Australia, and their overall pink-ball numbers don’t inspire much confidence either. Still, this is the moment where they have to find answers.

Can England bounce back in Brisbane? A look at their Gabba and pink-ball stats

In Perth, the pitch had carry and bounce but poor shot selection also aided in both England and Australia being bowled out for below 200-run score in the first innings. In the second innings, England collapsed again before Head smashed a mind-blowing 123 to help the hosts win the Test.

Ashes 2025-26: ICC rates Perth pitch as 'very good' despite Test getting over inside two days

Khawaja’s form was already under the scanner heading into the Ashes, with just one Test hundred in his previous 44 innings, but Brisbane has been a strong venue for him. He is the leading run-scorer in day-night first-class cricket at the Gabba, with 502 runs at an average of 50. 

Head or Khawaja? Who should open for Australia in Brisbane - Here's what Finch and Clarke suggests

After England's crushing loss in Perth, Australia’s press is relentless in criticising ‘Bazball.’ Meanwhile, Travis Head's explosive century leaves England stunned

From England's Daddy to Travball: Here's how Australian media turned up the heat on Stokes’ men

Ashes 2025-26: Could Nathan Lyon be left out of Brisbane Test? THIS two-time ODI World Cup winner Australian thinks so

The second Test, a day-night match, is still more than a week away and Wood is hopeful of England throwing some punches back. The second Test starts December 4 at the iconic Gabba stadium in Brisbane.

Ashes 2025-26: Wood concedes Perth loss 'going to hurt and it should' but hope of England throwing some punches back

There were questions about Australia's pace attack in the lead up to the Ashes opener but a fiery Starc rose to the occasion with a perfect performance. As for the second Test, Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out but skipper Pat Cummins remains hopeful for the participation.

Ashes 2025-26: In a blow to Australia, pacer Josh Hazlewood out of second Test but Cummins remains hopeful

Australia made light work of England in the opening Ashes Test as they wrapped up the affairs on Day 2 at the Optus Stadium. With bowlers dominating Day 1 of the Test with 19 wickets, it was the Mitchell Starc and Travis Head show that stole the spotlight.

Ashes: Michael Vaughan questions England's pink-ball Test preparations, says 'what harm is it playing...'

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AUS vs ENG 2nd Ashes Test: Far better than your average Joe

Ashes 2025-26: Australia take control of Brisbane Test with 44-run lead

More woes for Australia! Hazlewood picks up Achilles soreness during rehab

Starc says Akram still pinnacle of left-arm pace

Ashes 2025-26: Crawley praises England’s late surge as Root and Archer shine

Ashes: Lyon 'letting things settle down in my own head' after Brisbane Test snub

5 left-arm pacers with most Test wickets: Starc goes past Akram, check others

Ashes: Better than Wasim Akram! Starc is now BEST left-arm pacer in Test cricket

Ashes: England picked Jacks because they didn't want best spinner in Brisbane?

Ashes, Gabba Test: Pat Cummins' shock return on cards as AUS delay naming XI

Ashes - ‘Australia is the best country…,’ ENG captain Stokes on life Down Under

Ashes 2025-26: Aussie opener Khawaja out of Brisbane Test - Who will open now?

Ashes: ‘I am preparing for anything,’ Travis Head on opening alongside Khawaja

Joe Root questions need for pink-ball Ashes Tests amid dry run Down Under

Ashes: Mark Wood set to miss Gabba Test, Josh Tongue likely to feature - Report

Ashes: Cummins misses as Australia name unchanged 14-man squad for Brisbane Test

Can England bounce back in Brisbane? A look at their Gabba and pink-ball stats

Ashes: ICC says Perth pitch 'very good' despite Test getting over inside 2 days

Head or Khawaja? Who should open for Australia in Brisbane

From England's Daddy to Travball: Australian media brutal take on England’s loss

Ashes: Could Lyon be left out of Brisbane Test? THIS ex-Aus player thinks so

Ashes: Wood concedes Perth loss 'going to hurt and it should'

Ashes: Hazlewood out of second Test but Cummins remains hopeful

Ashes: Michael Vaughan questions England's pink-ball Test preparations