The Ashes: Joe Root to the rescue as England clinch day one at the Gabba

The pink ball Test twisted and turned, thrilling the packed crowd at the iconic Gabba, but Root's first century on Australian soil stole the day for the tourists. The stoic batter will resume day two on an unbeaten 135 with Jofra Archer at the other end.

It was an unlikely end to the day considering England's horror start. Charging in was chief destroyer Mitchell Starc, who struck in the first and third overs of the match. Ben Duckett was caught on the crease and gave the pink nut a healthy edge to first slip, then Ollie Pope chopped one on and England were wallowing in the mire at 5/2.

Enter Joseph Edward Root. So often have England relied on the right-hander in a crisis. Together with Zak Crawley, Root pulled them out of strife. Crawley played nicely for his 76 before Michael Neser got rewarded in front of his home crowd when he found the under edge of Crawley's bat. That left England at 122/3 as the shadows began to stretch across the Gabba turf.

With the floodlights beginning to take over, talisman Starc struck again. Harry Brook (31) whiffed at one out wide and found the edge, which captain Steve Smith gobbled up at second slip.

His opposite number, Ben Stokes, arrived and soaked up an immense amount of pressure with long-time friend Root. Stokes eventually brought up England's 200 with a glorious straight drive back past Starc just after the dinner break.

Then a moment of magic in the field lit up the Gabba. Stokes came barrelling down from the non-strikers' end for a single that was never on and he was promptly sent back by Root. Lightning reactions from Josh Inglis saw him swoop on the ball one-handed and hit the only stump he had to aim at, leaving Stokes stranded and distraught.

One wicket often brings another, and that was the case this night. Jamie Smith got a pearler second ball from Scott Boland, nipping back a touch to go through the gate and castle him. It was Smith's first-ever duck and one he's unlikely to forget. Despite absorbing all the pressure, England were all of a sudden 211/6.

Will Jacks hung around for a piece of history as resolute Root passed the tree figure mark, giving the Gabba crowd a subdued celebration as if to say it's long overdue. For a player with 39 centuries, perhaps it is.

Jacks struck a few pleasant boundaries, then got overconfident and edged one off Starc to second slip. Starc picked up his fifth when wicketkeeper Alex Carey and the energetic Marnus Labuschagne both leapt shoulder to shoulder to claim a top edge, with Carey finally wrapping his glove around the ball.

England's innings looked to be coming to a swift end when Starc drew the edge from Brydon Carse's bat two balls later as a hapless Root watched on.

But Archer had other ideas. The Barbados-born paceman is not one to die wondering, swinging his willow to great effect. Root joined in the swashbuckling session and the pair produced 61 runs off just 44 balls before the umpires called time.

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