England need skipper more than ever

If England are to leave the Gabba with anything other than defeat in this opening match of the Magellan Ashes series, then Joe Root is surely going to have to do something he has never managed before – score a century in the second innings of an overseas Test.

Steve Smith’s superlative unbeaten 141 on an absorbing third day in Brisbane not only gave Australia the upper hand in the contest but brought into sharp focus the battle between the opposing captains in this series.

Smith led from the front to resuscitate his team’s first innings from the depths of 4-76 and then 7-209. Root tried in vain to find a way to bore Australia’s captain out, squeezing his favoured legside scoring options with a plethora of funky fields.

The result was Smith’s slowest Test hundred that was a masterclass in concentration and determination. If Englishmen anywhere had any doubts that Smith was by far and away the finest batsman on the planet then this answered them emphatically.

For the past two years the quartet of Smith, India’s Virat Kohli, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Root have been singled out as the world’s best.

Smith, though, has proved beyond all doubt that he inhabits an altogether higher plain than the other three.

The challenge for Root, starting on the fourth day of this Test in Brisbane, is to prove that he too has the potential to join Smith on that rarefied level. But it is not going to be easy.

That fact becomes even starker when you examine Root’s record.

There is no doubt the Yorkshireman, who assumed the England Test captaincy from Alastair Cook earlier this year, is by far and away his country’s best batsman. Indeed, he would get into any side in the world across any format.

However, there are serious doubts whether he would have been able to produce the type of innings Smith did at the Gabba. To be fair to Root, probably no other batsman in the world right now, save for perhaps Kohli, would have been able to either.

But there is a chance for England’s captain to prove those doubters wrong and do just that in the remainder of this match.

To pull it off he will have to tread uncharted territory given only once before in 60 Tests has he ever scored a second-innings century.

English fans will take solace from the fact that was against Australia – at Lord’s in 2013, when he made 180.

The closest he has come to that overseas was also against Australia, in Adelaide four years ago when he made 87.

But he is not unfamiliar with scoring vital centuries away from the green, green grass of home, with his first-innings 110 in a tight Test against South Africa at the Wanderers in January 2016 perhaps the best innings he has ever produced for England.

With his team struggling on 4-91 in reply to the hosts’ first-innings 313, Root’s intervention allowed England to eke out a crucial first-innings lead and, much like this Test, kept the contest in the balance on day three. Stuart Broad would go on to 6-17 as South Africa were blitzed for 83 in their second innings. Root, though, set up what proved to be a series-clinching victory.

He will have to do the same again here and perhaps the example shown by Smith will inspire him to produce what could be a career-defining innings.

Broad, speaking after the third day at the Gabba, said: “If someone plays a Smith-like knock, gets their bowlers into third or fourth spells, we’re in the driving seat.”

There’s no doubt England are banking on Root playing that “Smith-like” knock.

And really, there’s also no reason why he can’t after braving a tremendously testing period late on the third day here that included Root, unbeaten on five at the close, being struck square on his grille by a fired-up Mitchell Starc.

The difference between Smith and Root is subtle. Quite simply Smith has the greater concentration and determination to bed in when set.

Since Smith’s maiden Test hundred in the final Test of the 2013 Ashes at The Oval, he has now scored at least 50 in 38 innings.

Root has actually done it 39 times in the same period, but has only converted 13 into three figures compared to Smith’s 21.

That failure to cash in is a habit Root has to break if he is to one day be regarded as one of the game’s all-time greats.

Smith is already on that path. What better time for Root to head in the same direction and join him?

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

Gillette T20 INTL Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21