Root gives England hope in Adelaide

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Captain Joe Root scored and unbeaten fifty to give England hope of an unlikely victory in the second Ashes Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.

Root batted through the evening session under lights to be 67 not out as the tourists reached stumps on the fourth day on 167/4, still needing another 178 runs to win on the final day.

Set a target of 354 after bowling the home team out for just 138 in the second innings, England started well with the bat as openers Alastair Cook (16) and Mark Stoneman (36) put on 53.

Both fell in relatively quick succession though as Cook was lbw to off-spinner Nathan Lyon and Stoneman was caught in the gully off paceman Mitchell Starc.

James Vince (15) again fell cheaply to leave the visitors on 91/3 but Root found a willing partner in Dawid Malan (29), who stuck around with his captain for a partnership worth 78.

England were about 10 minutes away from ending what would have been a very satisfactory day but Pat Cummins bowled the left-handed Malan to just about tilt the scales back in the home team’s favour.

Earlier, England would have been happy with how they bowled as they wrapped the Australian batting order, who resumed on 53/4 in the morning.

Seamer James Anderson claimed 5/43 in 22 overs while Chris Woakes returned figures of 4-36 in 16 to complete a very satisfying second innings in the field for the tourists.

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