Ashes 2019: Rory Burns and Joe Root show England the way – but hosts face a huge battle
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By Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent
Joe Root and rory Burns played innings that was courageous, disciplined and also have shown England the method to save the Ashes.
However, for all that work, those three wickets demonstrated the way you can just go bang bang, bang and this sport is flipped on its mind.
Suddenly from looking protected and comfortable, England fell and are up from it to avoid the follow-on in the first Test at Old Trafford.
They need regardless of what Australia’s tactics may be 98 runs to do it and have got to arrive. They have to try and keep Australia out from the area.
I would be surprised if the follow-on is enforced by Australia should England fail to attain 298. They provide themselves four sessions to bowl England out and then let their bowlers have a break, put some more wear on the pitch will bat .
If England do have bowled out after although sneak past the follow-on, that gives Australia the opportunity and a lead to put the bat rounds to get Nathan Lyon on a turning pitch on days five and four.
Simply put, England find themselves at a battle. At some point on Saturday, Australia might announce in their second innings and then put about shooting the 10 wickets they need to retain the Ashes.
The remainder of the batsmen of England have the perfect example to follow in how Root and Burns played.
Burns really does think now that he is good enough. That’s an integral point for anyone since you start off not knowing and wondering whether you may belong coming into Test cricket.
People have talked about Burns’ technique, with his bat pointing towards gully within his backlift, however, Steve Smith includes a technique and he’s not too bad.
You can be particular and if it works for you, then let it operate.
It functions for Burns – he can go through spots where he struggles due to the quirkiness but he’s scored over 1,000 County Championship runs for the last five seasons, he’s played to deal with that.
He got on, has ignored all the talk about his technique and batted. He was brave against the ball in his 81 and is gutsy – that was when there was only one man back and it turned out to be a shooter and he just took one on.
He swayed rather and ducked – that shows he’s learning because he’d been outside hooking a couple of times before this sequence.
Root fought for 71 through a innings – he had been hit all over his thighs and had his own box smashed.
He said he had been hammered his right thigh from the nets so he has certainly got a couple of bruises, which unsettled him a little, As soon as I talked to him that the day.
However he revealed how – what England shouldn’t do is neglect to demonstrate determination, discipline and that same fight.
Jonny Bairstow and ben Stokes must bat for as long as you can like this when they resume their innings.
So far, England have given it their all. Can you check Jason Roy? It’s so difficult.
He has been moved to number four to five shield him against the new ball and he came in in the scenario – in five, exhausting bowlers and facing a ball.
He then played a couple of fine strokes but if that ball bowled him you are left asking,’Where was his first front foot?’
He should have been out lbw, if he is going to miss that ball but it went through again.
That drive is that his game – he has never batted longer than just three and a half an hour at a game. England are currently asking a lot of him to create this step up.
England are currently confronting a Australia speed attack.
Pat Cummins bowled a totally fantastic spell – those 10 overs were one of those spells of the series.
He was brilliant , totally relentless and wickets. Pace, accuracy, hostility – that he was tireless and also to find nothing was so unfair.
Josh Hazlewood is sold and has three wickets. That is typical of a bowler’s great deal, it is going to go another way on another day.
Mitchell Starc was because we expected – he bowled a reasonable few boundary balls but at speed.
Lyon bowled too brief, wasn’t at his very best and the crowd seemed to be getting to him following his accident at Headingley. But he still has a turning pitch to perform in the rest of this game.
Jonathan Agnew spoke to BBC Sport’s Jack Skelton
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