Joe Root’s 160-run knock guides England to 384 runs:Harry Brook misses 11th Test century, early Tea in Sydney; Michael Neser bags four wickets for Australia

Australia did well to bowl England out for 384 in their first innings, but the total still looks challenging given the high-scoring nature of the series so far. The pitch has shown uneven bounce and some seam movement, especially in the later stages, which could make batting tricky for Australia’s top order. With the ball still doing a bit off the surface, the task for the Australian openers will be crucial. How they handle the movement and bounce could decide the direction of the match as the game moves into an exciting phase. The final session of the day promised plenty of action, and it delivered with wickets falling quickly after a strong start by England. The stage is now set for a thrilling contest as Australia begin their reply, with conditions promising another gripping passage of play. Joe Root’s 160-run knock leads England to 384 runs in 97.3 overs Play resumed after lunch with England at 336 for 6 in 78 overs. Australia began the session with part-time bowlers before turning to their main strike bowlers, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland. England’s resistance was led by Joe Root, who remained calm and confident at the crease. He was well supported by Will Jacks, who handled the extra bounce and seam movement with good technique. The pair put together a valuable 50-run partnership, keeping England in control for much of the session. Also read: Pro Panja League 3 goes global, to have international athletes: Tournament founders Preeti Jhangiani, Parvinn Dabass speak on arm-wrestling’s future in India Harry Brook (84) misses a century in the Sydney Test on Day 2 Just when England looked set to push past 400, momentum shifted. Once Australia took their danger bowlers out of the attack, Will Jacks threw away his wicket, undoing much of the hard work done during the partnership. Earlier, Harry Brook scored 84, missing out on his 11th Test century. Meanwhile, England captain, Ben Stokes returned to the pavilion scoring a duck and the middle-order collapse once again. Joe Root, however, continued his fine innings and went past 150 runs, showing great concentration and class. His knock was the backbone of England’s total and kept Australia under pressure deep into the session. Michael Neser cleans up the tail, bags four wickets in SCG Australia found their breakthrough through Michael Neser, who bowled an excellent spell late in the innings. Neser picked up three of the last four wickets, including the prized scalp of Joe Root, who was dismissed for a superb 160. Cameron Green also played his part as Australia wrapped up the English tail quickly after the fall of Root. England lost their final wickets in a hurry, missing out on what could have been an even bigger total. Also read: Sam Curran (74) guides Desert Vipers to maiden ILT20 title: Defeated MI Emirates by 46 runs, bowled out for 136 runs in 18.3 overs; Pyne-Naseem bag 3-wickets each Early Tea after England’s innings ends The session saw 19.3 overs, yielding 48 runs and 4 wickets. With England’s first innings coming to an end and around 20 minutes left before the scheduled Tea break, the umpires decided to take early Tea. What initially looked like England’s session turned Australia’s way thanks to disciplined bowling and smart changes by the fielding side.