‘What might’ve been’: The three-hour partnership that proved England could’ve won the Ashes

With Joe Root superb and Harry Brook batting in a fashion that Mark Waugh believes could see him sit among England’s best ever, the starring duo demonstrated why they are a combination to be feared at the SCG on Sunday.

But as the Barmy Army celebrated England’s best stand for the Ashes, it begged the question as to where this form had been in a series that started in November and was lost before Christmas.

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England’s preparation will be a matter for review at the completion of the series, with it increasingly clear that the tourists missed a trick with their failure to arrive in Perth match-hardened.

As Fox Cricket expert analyst Kerry O’Keeffe noted on Kayo Sports’ coverage of the Ashes, the English have effectively been the better team since the final day in Adelaide, but by then the Ashes were effectively over.

“It is amazing. If they had done this early in the series, it could have been a completely different shape, but they are doing it when it has been resolved,” he told foxsports.com.au

“It is good for Australia, of course, but it just shows you what might have been.”

With the Urn retained, instead England is left to celebrate smaller triumphs and after its drought-breaking Test win on Australian soil at the MCG, the magnificence of the Root and Brook partnership provided reason for their fans to smile.

The combination sit third among all-comers for England in terms of the average for their partnership behind Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe (87.9) and Ken Barrington and Ted Dexter (66.6) for combinations who scored 2000 or more.

Depending on how the pair, who are sitting at a tick over 65, fare when play resumes on Monday, they may well move to second in terms of stands, which is a demonstration of a consistent excellence lamentably missing earlier this summer.

Aussie great Mark Waugh said Brook and Root were serving a reminder as to why they were considered the world’s best batters.

“They are ranked one and two in the world … and they are looking like that at the moment,” he said.

Adam Gilchrist, who noted the duo arrived at the crease with England under pressure at 3-57 after losing their top three in less than six overs, said the pair steered “England beautifully” over the three-hour period prior to bad light halting play.

Root arrived at the crease with Australia holding the upper-hand after Mitchell Starc and Michael Neser removed England’s openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, who showed flashes of what they are capable of in a 35-run partnership.

The champion No.4, who secured a maiden century in Australia at the Gabba in the second Test in another minor triumph for his nation this summer, was beaten with a beauty from Michael Neser with his first ball.

But he was majestic from then on and reached stumps unbeaten on 72 from 103 deliveries, with his first ball the only false shot he played in a superb innings resplendent with off-side dabs and sweet cover drives.

Waugh, who is well-equipped to discuss elegance at the crease, said the second-highest scoring batter in Test history had looked “a class player” throughout the unbeaten 154-run partnership on the first day of the final Test.

“He has looked in complete control and he looks to be playing with patience,” Waugh said.

If Root presented as the consummate Test No.4 at the SCG as he seeks a second century for the series, Brook was brutish at times, no more so than when he hammered the expensive Cameron Green into the stands in the 40th over.

Brook misfired at times, including a top-edge from the short-pitched bowling of Mitchell Starc that landed between Marnus Labuschagne, Beau Webster and Usman Khawaja as he was closing on his half-century.

But the 26-year-old batted with a command that has seen him post his best score this summer, with the 26-year-old unbeaten on 78 from 92 balls, with Waugh lauding his strokemaking capabilities.

“He has the potential to be as good as any player to have batted for England. He is a superb player now but he can get even better,” Waugh said.

“There is always a balance (to batting). Is he willing to bat time? Is he willing to bat all day? (But) he is one of those players who makes scoring runs look quite easy at times.”

O’Keeffe believes the English vice-captain, who is at the tailend of his first Ashes in Australia, is a player his nation can build a formidable team around if they can find a few other “pieces of the jigsaw”.

“He is box office. They can build a very strong team around Harry Brook,” he told foxsports.com.au.

“Brook and Root always threatened if they got together and were on song that they would cause real problems and there is a big stand happening here, I think.“