Root ton fires England before Head strikes back for Australia

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SYDNEY, Jan 5 - Joe Root contributed a magnificent 160 to Englands first-innings tally of 384 but Travis Head drove Australia to 166 for two in response on the second day of the fifth and final Ashes test on Monday.

Englands hopes of winning the urn are long gone after defeats in the first three tests of the series but they continued to show the spirit, lacking in previous beaten touring sides, that was evident in their victory in Melbourne last week.

Until Australia took the second new ball, Root looked in full control in the Sydney sunshine on a pitch that looked as benign as the surface for the chaotic Melbourne test was fiery.

In a string of partnerships which might have transformed Englands fortunes when the series was still alive, Root crafted an innings of real quality from 242 deliveries with 15 fours and no sixes.

Rarely approaching anything close to flamboyance, he punched two runs back past the bowler to reach his 41st test century and second in Australia after his hundred in the second match in Brisbane.

Michael Neser (4-60),the pick of Australias bowlers, ended his knock with an athletic catch off his own bowling and two deliveries later bowled Josh Tongue to terminate Englands innings and bring up an early tea.

It was Englands highest tally of the series but they needed their bowlers to back it up in a marathon final session if they were to have a chance of going home 3-2 losers.

The bowlers created some early chances with Jake Weatherald dropped twice in the space of three balls -- forgivably perhaps for Root in the slips, not so