Joe Root splutters but Ollie Pope prospers in England’s Ashes warmup

Pope makes 100 in England’s 426, 51 ahead of LionsRoot out for one, Harry Brook for 2; Stokes makes 77Joe Root’s attempt to lay to rest the ghost of Australian failures past started with the addition of a fresh one, as his fourth Ashes tour started in brief and inglorious style. The world’s No 1 Test batter, the subject of much pre-series chatter because of his poor average on previous such trips, was the most notable failure as many of his teammates inflated their confidence a