Ashes score LIVE: Captain Joe Root leads England fightback against Australia on day three of 1st Test

England captain Joe Root was celebrating record-breaking 2021 as he and Dawid Malan dug deep to launch a brave fightback in the first Ashes Test at The Gabba.

After two despairing days at The Gabba, and a first-innings deficit of 278, the tourists finally landed some blows of their own to reach 220 for two on the third evening.

Dismissed for a duck in England’s underwhelming 147 all out, Root showed all his class and charisma to make 86 not out while Malan knuckled down for a highly impressive 80no.

Unlike Malan, Root has never scored a century Down Under but will spend the night dreaming of putting that right at the earliest opportunity as the duo resume their 159-run partnership.

While salvaging something from this match – a draw, the unlikeliest of wins, even just a measure of pride in defeat – would have been the only thing on Root’s mind, he scooped up a significant landmark along the way.

Until now no Englishman had ever scored more Test runs in a calendar year than the 1,481 Root’s mentor Michael Vaughan reeled off in 2002. But by the close he was sitting on a total of 1,541 and, with games at Adelaide and Melbourne still to come, he may have the Mohammad Yousuf’s world record of 1,788 in his sights.

And that’s Stumps.

The final ball of the day almost sees Joe Root gone but he has just missed the ball as he opens the face...very fortunate, but still in!

And that’s the end of the day, England trail by 58 after finishing on 220/2.

Root on 86 from 158 balls, Malan on 80 after 177.

A couple of sharp-breath moments for Malan there as he opts against leaving one and risks being caught.

Not much intent from the duo at the bat to clock up any needlessly risky single runs now.

Nine overs left in the day and England trail by 66.

Root has ticked over to 85, Malan to 73.

Nathan Lyon goes through a few stretches as he prepares to come back in and bowl.

England needs 74 runs off 83 balls as they have managed 203 runs. But England has hercules task ahead as they have to score 250 runs minimum to be in the game.

Root and Malan, both have hit fifties and now eyeing centuries in final 30 minutes.

“England need to put the deficit out of their mind and just keep batting. If they are still only two down tonight and around the mark to be level with Australia they can start to think about what they want to set Australia,” Ian Chappell, former Australian captain said on BBC.

“It looks like the sort of pitch that we saw last season where India had to score 330 to win the game and they managed that. It was a pretty decent fourth-innings wicket,” he added.

Chappel said England have a “hell of a long way ahead of them” and they can’t get too far ahead of themselves”.

Joe Root and David Malan’s partnership has steadied the ship for team England. The deficit has narrowed and England is trailing by 102 runs as 21 overs remain in the day. Root at 61 off 107 balls and Malan 65 at 137 balls.

Things has remained dull for Australia since Hameed’s wicket in 21st over.

It’s time for drinks break before third session of the play.

Joe Root brings up his fifty runs with a boundary. He’s made 52 off 83 balls as he plays his 110th Test match.

England is 148-2, trailing by 129 runs.

England skipper Joe Root has become the English Test cricketer to record most runs in a calendar year. Root is 40 at 66 balls not out and went past Michael Vaughan’s previous best of 1,871, a record set in 2002.

England is trailing at 151 runs.

As England’s misery continued a fan found something to cheer about at the Gabba on day two of the match.

In the after-over of Travis Head’s T20-style century, the cameras at the stadium beamed the magical moment to fans as Rob Hale got down on a knee for his Australian girlfriend Natalie.

Fans gathered in the background to watch the moment and led out a loud roar as the woman said “yes” to the proposal.

“How good is that,” said the TV commentator. “They met the last time England were out. Rob’s in the Barmy Army, Nat’s of course an Aussie. That is brilliant.”