Joe Root’s second century of the series kept an Australian rally in check at lunch on Day 2 of the fifth and final Ashes test on Monday.

Root’s masterful, unbeaten 138 was the highlight of the morning session as Australia’s bowlers chipped away at the middle order to have England at 336-6 at lunch.

Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc made early breakthroughs after Root and Harry Brook’s partnership had moved to 169 runs and was threatening to take the test away from the hosts, who already have a winning 3-1 lead in the series.

Boland (2-75) ended Brook’s equal parts streaky and sublime innings at 84, with Steve Smith taking a sharp catch to bring to a close the best partnership of the series across both teams.

Then Starc (2-77) removed England skipper Ben Stokes (0) for the fifth time this series with a near-unplayable delivery that shaped away from the left-hander, and the TV umpire review found it had caught a thin edge on its way through to Alex Carey.

Milestone ton

After some nervy moments in the nineties as the pitch began showing signs of variable bounce, Root’s straight drive off Michael Neser allowed the 163-test veteran to scamper through for two runs and complete his latest milestone off 146 balls, with 11 boundaries.

It was Root’s 41st test century, but just his second in an Ashes test Down Under. He’s level with former Australia captain Ricky Ponting on the all-time list of test centurymakers. Only Sachin Tendulkar (51) and Jacques Kallis (45) have more.

Root made 138 not out in the second test at Brisbane, which was his first century in Australia in his four Ashes tours.

Jamie Smith made an enterprising, and at times fortunate, 46 before heholed outt to the part-time medium pace of Marnus Labuschagne just before the break.

Smith had earlier been dismissed off a no-ball from Cameron Green, before the next ball edging the ball between wicketkeeper Carey and first slip Beau Webster.

On Day 1, Root and Brook guided England to 211-3 before bad light and rain stopped play just before tea, after the tourists had slipped to 57-3 after winning the toss and batting.

England lost each of the first three tests to allow Australia to retain the Ashes in just 11 days of on-field action.

England then won its first Ashes match Down Under since 2011 with a four-wicket win in the Boxing Day test.