Ashes Stats: Joe Root breaks 50s record as captain; James Anderson reaches 100 unbeaten innings | Cricket News

Benedict Bermange

Cricket Statistician

Australia reached stumps on day three at 45-1, with a lead of 282; Joe Root scored 62 as England were bowled out for 236 in their innings, while James Anderson finished not out for the 100th time in Test cricket

Joe Root and Dawid Malan offered some temporary English optimism during a disappointing third day in Adelaide

Australia may continue to dominate the second Ashes Test, but Sky Cricket number-cruncher Benedict Bermange has all the key stats about some English landmarks reached during day three in Adelaide.

Captain Joe Root was England’s second-top scorer in their innings, scoring 62 and featuring in a 138-run partnership with Dawid Malan before seeing his side bowled out for 236.

Root’s 62 was his 37th half-century as captain, breaking Sir Alastair Cook’s previous England record of 36, while his 11th score of at least 50 as captain against Australia breaks Peter May’s record of 10.

England are facing a tough task over the next two days to avoid going 2-0 down in the five-Test series

It was the eighth time he has reached fifty in Australia and failed to convert it to a century. Only Bruce Laird (nine times) has reached fifty more times in Tests in Australia without ever managing to reach three figures.

Australia did not drop a single catch in the first Test, but Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith both managed to drop Ollie Robinson off the same ball from the bowling of Cameron Green.

When Starc dismissed Stuart Broad, he became the first player to take 50 wickets in day/night Test matches.

In England’s first innings, James Anderson became the first player to be not out in 100 Test innings. Anderson is considerably ahead of closest challenger Courtney Walsh, who finished unbeaten 61 times in Tests. Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan was unbeaten 56 times, one ahead of England’s Bob Willis.

Michael Neser was promoted to nightwatchman after his first-innings heroics, becoming the first Australian debutant to act as nightwatchman since Phil Emery in his only Test appearance at Lahore in 1994.