"It proved this week after three tough games and tough results to come back and put in a performance like that was extremely pleasing for me as a captain." Root will have been buoyed by the belated return to form of opener and former skipper Alastair Cook, who scored an unbeaten 244 in a Man-of-the-Match performance. With Smith dismissed for "only" 76 in the first innings, Root's bowlers were also able to contain Australia to 327, a below-par score on such a lifeless deck. Root tried unconventional fields as his bowlers threw everything at Smith but his team finished the day no clearer about how to dismiss their nemesis without a moving ball. "It's difficult on that surface," said Root.

Source: dna December 30, 2017 09:45 UTC