Top Performers of the 2nd day of the 5th and final test match of the Ashes series.
| Score at the end of Day 2 | England 384/10 in 97.3 overs, Australia166/2 in 34.1 overs |
| England’s top performer | Joe Root 160 off 242 balls with 15 fours |
| Australia’s top performer | Michael Neser 18.3-02-60-04 and Travis Head 91* in 87 balls |
Ashes 5th Test Day 2 Session 1
Root Reaches Historic Century as England Loses Wickets
Day 2 picked up with England at 211 for 3, after rain kept things short the day before. Joe Root (72* from 103) and Harry Brook (78* from 92) came back out, looking sharp and ready to keep their partnership rolling. They’d already stacked up 154 runs together on Day 1, but Australia didn’t waste any time getting into the action. Scott Boland struck early—Brook only lasted five more balls, added six runs, and then edged one to Steve Smith at first slip. That was it for Brook: out for 84 off 97, with six boundaries and a six.
Root and Brook’s stand—169 runs—became the most significant partnership of the series for either side, topping the 162 Head and Carey put together in Adelaide. After that, Mitchell Starc stepped up and sent Ben Stokes back. Stokes barely stuck around for 11 balls before nicking one through to Alex Carey behind the stumps. That was Starc’s fifth time getting Stokes out this series and his 14th overall in Tests. Suddenly, England sat at 229 for 5.
Root found some support in Jamie Smith, the keeper-batter, who nearly walked off for 22 after Green took a catch at cover—except, hang on, replays showed Green had overstepped. Smith got a lifeline and made the most of it, playing with intent while Root kept ticking over, closing in on another hundred. Root finally reached his 41st Test century—off 146 balls, 11 boundaries—driving Neser straight down the ground. That brought him level with Ricky Ponting for Test centuries. Smith eventually fell to Labuschagne’s part-timers for 46 off 76 (six fours, one six), closing out a gritty 94-run partnership.
Ashes 5th Test Day 2 Session 2
Neser Wraps Up England Innings as Root Falls for 160
England started at 336 for 6, with Root settled on 138 from 200 balls and Jacks just getting going on 3. Right after lunch, Jacks made his intentions clear, launching Labuschagne for a six on only the second ball. He didn’t stop there—kept picking off boundaries from Starc and Boland, and together with Root, the two put on a handy 52 runs for the seventh wicket.
For Australia, Michael Neser was the pick of the bowlers. He made the breakthrough when Jacks got a leading edge, and Green snapped it up at the gully. Jacks walked back for 27 from 62 balls, having hit three boundaries. Root, meanwhile, kept batting like a man in complete control. He eased past 150 in the 89th over, joining some elite company—only Bradman, Sangakkara, Lara, and Tendulkar have more 150-plus scores in Tests than him now.
After that, Neser made short work of the tail. Green got rid of Carse for just 1, then Neser struck twice in the 98th over, including Josh Tongue for a two-ball duck. Root’s brilliant knock finally ended when Neser took a sharp caught-and-bowled, diving full stretch to his left. Root walked off for a superb 160 from 242 balls, laced with 15 fours. England’s innings wrapped up at 384 from 97.3 overs, with Neser finishing on top—4 wickets for 60 from 18.3 overs.
Ashes 5th Test Day 2 Session 3
Head’s Blitz and Labuschagne’s Fall Keep Match in Balance
Australia needed a solid reply to England’s 384. Things began cautiously with the hosts reaching 7/0 after three overs. Then Travis Head took control. He attacked Matthew Potts right from the start, smashing three boundaries in a single over. The debutant Potts had a rough introduction to Ashes cricket, leaking 25 runs off his first three overs. He eventually went for 58 runs from seven overs without a wicket.
Jake Weatherald got lucky twice in quick succession. Joe Root dropped a difficult chance at first slip when Weatherald was on 9. Three balls later, Ben Duckett spilled a simpler catch at square leg with Weatherald on 14. Australia brought up their fifty in just the 10th over. Stokes finally trapped Weatherald lbw for 21 off 36 balls (four fours), breaking the 57-run opening stand.
Head and Labuschagne then put together a dangerous partnership. Head raced to his fifty off just 55 balls with nine boundaries at that point. He became the first player since Steve Smith in 2019 to pass 500 runs in an Ashes series. Labuschagne looked fluent too, collecting seven fours in his knock. The pair added 105 runs for the second wicket before Stokes struck again.
Labuschagne edged Stokes to Jacob Bethell at gully for 48 off 68 balls. The dismissal came after a heated verbal exchange between the two players. Michael Neser came in as nightwatchman with Head unbeaten on 91. Drizzle arrived in the final over after Neser was hit on the right elbow by a Stokes delivery. The umpires called stumps with one ball left in the final over. Australia finished at 166/2 in 34.1 overs, trailing by 218 runs. Head remained unbeaten on 91 off 87 balls with 15 fours, while Neser was 1 off 15 balls. The match is poised for an exciting Day 3 finish.
