'Australia's day... just!' How day one unfolded

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So, with you hopefully all suitably debriefed after another day of Ashes cricket that went from promising to pretty perplexing in the space of 10 minutes, that's all from me.

Get your head down, hit the coffee, sneak a nap at work - whatever it takes to make sure you're back with the team when day two gets under way tonight.

Until then... goodbye.

• Report: Root and Bairstow wickets derail England
• Full scorecard

Because of a delayed start due to the rain on day one at the SCG, play on day two will start at the earlier time of 23:00 GMT.

You'll be able to follow all the build up with out live text coverage from 22:30, while Test Match Special will go on air from 22:45.

Enjoy!

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England in with a chance of winning the final Test? Their chances were rated at 40% before Joe Root's dismissal.

At that point, Australia's chances were said to be 27% with the draw 33%.

Dawid Malan, who scored an unbeaten 55, says he has confidence that captain Joe Root will finally begin converting his fifties into bigger scores with just 13 centuries from 36 half-centuries in his 65-Test career.

"He still averages 53 in Test cricket and the day will come when he will probably start converting as well as Steve Smith does or the other greats have done," said Malan.

"And when that happens, it will be scary to see how good he can be and how high his average can jump to."

England assistant coach Paul Farbrace, speaking to TMS:"Dawid Malan has shown his quality throughout this series and Rooty was playing the best innings he's played throughout the series. You could see the disappointment in him. To lose those two wickets in the last five minutes is a massive disappointment.

"It's a very quiet dressing room tonight, because people know how hard Dawid and Rooty worked to get themselves into that position. To see Rooty get out the way he did, he's incredibly disappointed and frustrated.

"He knows he wants to convert more 50s into 100s. It's not something any coach needs to sit him down and say 'do you realise you need to convert more fifties?'"

A keenly contested - and very watchable - opening day which ended with a late, cruel twist for England.

• Rain delays the start by two hours
• England start well, Australia quicks initiate a top-order wobble
• England fight back, and Australia land two potentially crucial late blows
• Where Mark Stoneman (24), James Vince (25), and Alastair Cook (39) failed in not kicking on, Joe Root and Dawid Malan succeeded
• From 95-3, Root and Malan added 133, but the skipper fell in the penultimate over of the day for 83
• Jonny Bairstow - coming in at six instead of a nightwatchman - fell in the next over
• Malan ended the day unbeaten on 55

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Joe Root looked to be on his way to a well-earned century, before falling for 83.

Root made just 17 from the first 50 deliveries he faced but opened up after tea with his most regular methods of scoring - square on the off side and tucks off the pads.

It left him primed to improve on a conversion rate in which he has only reached three hundreds from his last 19 Test half-centuries.

But with the close in sight, Root loosely turned Starc's third delivery with the new ball on the leg side, and the diving Mitchell Marsh took a smart catch to leave Root crouched on his haunches in disappointment.

Trevor Kirkpatrick: I think it is fair to say that England have simply faltered at crucial times on this tour. The Aussies have won the key moments. Apart from that not much between the two teams.

NA: It is the 5th test and the England batsmen are getting out in the same fashion as in the 1st. Is there no performance review, coaching or even learning from Steve Smith how to build an innings?

Here's a little more reaction from Australia all-rounder Mitch Marsh, speaking to ABC: "It was nice to get those late ones. Hopefully we can get the ball swinging in the morning and get into the tail.

"I thought we bowled reasonably well. If we had taken a few chances early on we could have had them seven or eight down, but I thought the boys fought hard all day The ball swung most of the day."

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You may have spotted plenty of pink on display in Sydney, both on the pitch and in the stands, and here’s why…

The SCG Pink Test is now a regular part of summer cricket in Australia, reaching its 10th edition since it was started by Glenn McGrath.

It is also known as Jane McGrath Day, after Glenn’s first wife who died in 2008 aged 42, having been diagnosed with breast and bone cancer.

The McGrath Foundation was founded in 2005, and works to increase education and awareness of breast cancer.

The Foundation hopes to raise more than $1m this week.

EPA

Both Mark Stoneman and James Vince will no doubt have one eye on making England's squad for the two-Test series in New Zealand in March.

Do they deserve a spot? Or are some big second innings needed in Sydney?

Jeremy Belbin: From good to soft in one rainy morning commute. All set for a Moeen ton.

Andy, Barnsley: We ought to have sent Moeen in , he's batting like a nightwatchman anyway.

Steve Trow: Let’s not forget Aus now have the new ball, we have Moeen batting and a weak tail end. Think we’ll be 250 all out.

Has Dawid Malan hit the nail on the head here?

Was that final 10 minutes essentially England's Ashes in microcosm?

"It sums up where we've been in this series as a whole - we've been in good positions and then not been able to put our foot on the throats," says the England batsman.

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In brief...

Rain delays the start by two hours, England start well, Australia quicks initiate a top-order wobble, England fight back, and Australia land two potentially crucial late blows.

Where Mark Stoneman (a dashing 24), James Vince (a fluent 25), and Alastair Cook (an Alastair Cook-esque 39) failed in not kicking on, Joe Root and Dawid Malan succeeded.

From a tricky 95-3, Root and Malan showed great application and no little style to add 133, but the skipper fell in the penultimate over of the day for 83. It is his highest score of the series, but rarely has he looked so disappointed.

To compound matters, Jonny Bairstow - coming in at six instead of a nightwatchman - fell in the next over.

Malan ended the day unbeaten on 55, but it felt like a footnote as the Aussies left the field with grins all over their faces.

Paddy Emmerson: Poor leadership allowing Bairstow to go out to bat in the last ten minutes. The fact Root and Bayliss let the next batsman decide, if England should have a night watchman or not. Shows real lack of leadership & that neither are fit to be in the positions they are.

Michael, Eversham: For years people and experts have bemoaned the use of the night watchman. Don't start criticising now that one isn't used. What's the point in moving Bairstow back down to 7 when everyone says that is too low for him?

Australia all-rounder Mitch Marsh says he was "very surprised" to Jonny Bairstow heading for the wicket...

"I was very surprised I didn't see a nightwatchman for England - Gaz [Nathan Lyon] has been padded up for me a couple of times in a few games," he told ABC.

"I think it's going to be a very good pitch to bat on. It dried out pretty quickly today."

John, Newcastle: So it's left to individual players to take tactical decisions on the batting order? Why bother with a captain? Joe has not been even remotely convincing in the role this tour but there is a worrying lack of alternatives.

MM, Halifax: I think Bairstow chose to go in as there is a lack of options for nightwatchman. No doubt Broad and Anderson refuse now due to their seniority and who do you send in Crane in first test or Curran in second test??

Right, this one's got you lot more torn than a 90s' Natalie Imbruglia music video...

A poor choice from Jonny Bairstow to go out in the final few overs? Or was it up to Joe Root to rein him in and send out a nightwatchman?

More from Dawid Malan, speaking to ABC: "Ten minutes in Test cricket can change the whole game. We knew it was a crucial period but unfortunately Joe got out, and then Bluey [Bairstow].

"I've found Josh Hazlewood the toughest to face with his lengths. I feel he nags away with a couple of bouncers. He never really gives you much to drive."

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Stewart: I know very little about cricket, but I enjoy following matches and I've watched some of the Ashes so far. I saw this referenced on #bbccricket - what is the 'nightwatchman' role all about?

Good question, Stewart... generally, a tail end of lower order batsman sent out to block and see out the remaining few overs of the day instead of putting in your next middle order in tricky circumstances.

Here is Malan, speaking to BT Sport: "It just shows what Test cricket is like.

"I've waited long enough to get a shot, so I don't want to give it away when I get in. It's a fine line - do you attack or just stick in.

"Thankfully I got away with a few things and I'm still there a the end."

It was another decent outing for England batsman Dawid Malan, who made 55 not out.

And that was his fifth 50 in 10 Tests.

Joe Root looked destined for a big score, says Australia bowling coach David Saker.

He told BT Sport: "He looked destined for a big score. It's a great wicket for us and that exposed the last few overs for Jonny Bairstow.

"Those two wickets were big for us tonight. It was a big change late in the day. Two wickets, bang bang, and you're back in the game."

• A new ball, but Joe Root plays a sumptuous straight drive down the ground for four.
• Root jabs his bat down at a Mitchell Starc delivery and edges it past his stumps. How did that not hit? England remain on 228-3.
• Wicket! The England captain walks after clipping a Starc delivery towards square leg where Mitchell Marsh makes a fine catch.
• In comes Jonny Bairstow…
• Bairstow is hit on the pads! Huge appeal from Australia. Given not out. It goes upstairs, but Bairstow survives.
• Josh Hazlewood begins the final over of the day, Bairstow smacks him through the covers for four.
• Wicket! Bairstow’s gone… edging behind to Tim Paine.
• That's the close of play, with England 233-5.

Nightwatchmen are there for a reason. And with no Woakes the tail is longer than normal. Extremely poor judgement and leadership.

Thanks, Jack.

Yes, keep that reaction coming. Plenty of it will include nightwatchman, I assume...

And not a Game of Thrones reference in sight.

Plenty to debate from day one at the SCG and plenty more reaction to come so stick with us.

I'm off though to get some much needed sleep before day two. Catch you then. Here's Alex Bysouth...

So Dawid Malan will resume tomorrow, batting alongside Moeen Ali. How they get on against the new ball that is still less than two overs old will determine whether England can post a competitive total.

The tourists should have been comfortably looking at over 400. The hosts might fancy nipping them out for 300 with an early wicket tomorrow.

After rain washed out the morning session on day one, play will start half an hour early on day two, starting at 23:00 GMT.

It was all going so well for England just 40 minutes ago. Honest.

At that point they were 220-3, with captain Joe Root unbeaten on 83. But once again the England skipper couldn't convert, chipping a full delivery from Mitchell Starc with the new ball to a diving Mitchell Marsh at square leg.

Jonny Bairstow opted to go out himself, instead of sending in a nightwatchman, and he got a pearler from Josh Hazlewood, edging it behind to complete a horrendous 10 minutes at the end of the day for the tourists, who closed on 233-5.

Earlier, Mark Stoneman looked in good touch but struggled to deal with the short ball again and edged Pat Cummins behind.

James Vince also looked in great touch, but then misjudged a wafty cut shot and nicked off. While Alastair Cook played around a full and straight one, and was out lbw to Hazlewood on review.

That left England 95-3, but Root rebuilt well in a century stand with Dawid Malan, who remains unbeaten on 55.

A much better wicket here at Sydney than at Melbourne, with a bit in it for the bowlers. But Australia will be delighted to grab five wickets on a good pitch for batting.

What a dreadful last 10 minutes of the day for England.

It's probably not even their worst 10-minute spell in this Ashes, but it could be up there if it ultimately costs them this Test.

Dawid Malan has played a fine innings and will hope to kick on tomorrow. But what support will he have from the other end?

Moeen Ali is desperately sort of form and it's tough to guess how he'll approach his innings. Tom Curran is in at eight and that kicks off a long tail for England. Mitchell Starc looked to be suffering at the end of the day but you can bet he'll be fired up if he gets to go at the tail early on.