Record-breaker Mitch Starc has underlined his status as the pink-ball master, but not even he could neutralise Joe Root and an improved England on a see-sawing first day of the second Ashes Test.

After England won the toss at the Gabba on Thursday, Root scored an unbeaten 135, breaking through for a long-awaited first century in Australia to dismiss speculation of a second straight bloodbath to begin the Ashes.

Opener Zak Crawley’s 76 showed he’d recovered from a king pair, before Root took the reins in a much more measured day from the touring batters, whose Bazball tactics have been on trial since their Perth disaster.

England great Joe Root nonchalantly celebrates reaching his elusive Test ton in Australia. Photo: AAP 

At the close of play, England was 9-325 following a great partnership from Root and No.11 Jofra Archer (32no off 26 balls) for the final wicket.

“I think it’s a good score,” said Crawley.

But Starc felt there was no clear leader heading into day two of the day-night fixture.

“It was probably a pretty even day’s Test cricket, albeit with a pink ball, it’s a pretty normal day’s Test cricket,” he said.

“Both sides would be partly happy with how a lot of the day went.”

Veteran left-armer Starc (6-71) was again Australia’s best without injured Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, as well as the controversially axed Nathan Lyon.

Inside the first three overs, Starc had pushed the tourists to 2-5, matching Wasim Akram’s mark of 414 wickets to become the equal most prolific left-arm quick in Test history.

Ben Duckett edged his outswinger to the slips on the sixth ball of the day for a duck, leaving Starc with a wicket in the first over of each innings this series, before Ollie Pope chopped on without scoring.

Starc passed Akram and into rarefied air on 415 Test scalps when Harry Brook, on 31, edged him to the slips on the second ball of his spell after tea.

“Wasim’s still a far better bowler than I am. As far as I’m concerned, he’s still the pinnacle of left-armers and certainly right up there with [best] bowlers to ever play the game,” Starc said.

Starc had his five-fer just before 9pm (local time) as Alex Carey sprinted more than halfway to the boundary rope to catch Gus Atkinson’s soaring top edge.

Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne celebrate the catch that dismissed England’s Gus Atkinson. Photo: AAP

Root finally got the monkey off his back in his 30th innings on Australian soil with a four to the fine-leg boundary off Scott Boland, raising his bat for his century in typically understated fashion.

“I think he was less nervous than us. He played brilliantly,” Crawley said.

The 34-year-old had been given an extra life on two runs, Steve Smith dropping a tough chance in the slips that could have gifted Starc another wicket.

Root showed a restraint not usually associated with “Bazball” early in the final session, before cutting loose late in partnership with Archer.

The duo put on an unbeaten 61-run partnership for the final wicket as England opted to pile on the runs rather than declare and force Australia to bat under lights.

The match was riddled with controversy before a ball had been bowled as stand-in captain Smith, after losing the toss, announced Lyon had been axed from the XI.

Australia’s preference for an all-pace attack meant a third Test cap for Michael Neser, and Lyon sitting out of a home Test match for the first time since 2012.

The call also left Australia vulnerable to a slower over rate; the hosts bowled no overs of spin on Thursday, meaning they were eight overs behind at stumps.

But the two new faces – Neser (1-43) and Usman Khawaja’s replacement Josh Inglis – each came up with a huge moment to provide some justification for their call-ups.

Crawley caught a bottom edge as he attempted a pull shot early in the second session and was caught by Carey from Neser’s bowling.

As England slowed their run rate, Inglis ran out Ben Stokes (19) with a masterly direct hit from 20 metres away as the English captain aborted his attempt at a single.

-AAP