A historic achievement unfolded on day one of the second Ashes Test as Joe Root and Jofra Archer forged an unbroken 61-run partnership for the tenth wicket, mirroring a feat from a century ago. When Archer joined Root at the crease with the score at 264 for nine, England faced a potential collapse. However, the pair defied the odds, batting through the final hour to reach 325 for nine at stumps.
This late surge, spearheaded by Archer’s aggressive stroke-play and Root’s composed batting, not only secured a strong first-innings total for England but also revived a rare piece of Ashes history. It was a crucial intervention that showcased the fighting spirit of the English side, especially after a day where batting had been challenging, despite Root’s century.
This unbroken 61-run stand is the first instance of a tenth-wicket partnership reaching 50 or more in the first innings of an Ashes Test in Australia for exactly 100 years. The last time this happened was in 1925, when Arthur Mailey and Jack Ryder combined for 73 runs for the final wicket. Root and Archer have now joined that exclusive club, etching their names into Ashes folklore.
Looking at more recent Ashes history in Australia, this partnership also breaks a 43-year drought for a 50+ tenth wicket stand. The last pair to achieve this were Allan Border and Jeff Thomson, who scored 70 runs for the last wicket in the 1982 Boxing Day Test. The significance of Root and Archer’s contribution is amplified by these historical parallels.
The impact of Root and Archer’s heroics cannot be overstated. It has placed England in a dominant position for this second Ashes Test. Historically, day-night Tests in Australia tend to be low-scoring, and no team has ever lost a pink-ball Test after posting 300+ in their first innings. Australia’s batters now face immense pressure to perform and must find a way to dismantle this resilient tenth-wicket partnership early on day two.