Root has been feast or famine in this series. Until this Test, his landmark century in Brisbane was one of only two occasions when he passed 20. In Sydney, the city where he was dropped for the only time in his Test career and once batted himself into hospital in extreme heat, the former captain was outstanding.
Without Root, England would have squandered their promising overnight position of 211-3. Harry Brook played a limp poke at Scott Boland to be caught at slip for 84 and Stokes edged a beauty from Mitchell Starc for an 11-ball duck, meaning the tourists lost 2-3 in four overs.
On one hand, Smith’s role in a stand of 94 with Root was valuable, but the wicketkeeper was fortunate to last so long. He was caught off a Cameron Green no-ball on 22, then edged and miscued the same bowler. The dismissal to Labuschagne’s bouncer plan as the second new ball approached was an appalling piece of cricket.
By this point, Root had moved to three figures from his overnight 72. After edging Neser over the slips on 94, he drove the same bowler down the ground to join Australia great Ricky Ponting on 41 Test tons – only India’s Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis have more. He celebrated with the same shrug of the shoulders he pulled in Brisbane.
On he went, adding 52 for the seventh wicket with Will Jacks. He passed 150 for the 17th time in Tests – only four other players have done so more.
Root eventually offered a leading edge to a diving Neser in the bowler’s follow-through, part of England’s final collapse of 4-9. After carrying England’s batting, perhaps it is no surprise he later suffered discomfort in his back.