Australia marched ahead and scored at an aggressive rate to go past England’s decent total to edge ahead in the contest. Australia took the final England wicket for the addition of 9 runs before starting their innings. Australia did not have a century in the innings but they rode on half centuries from Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, and captain Steven Smith alongside a couple of 40s from Cameron Green and Alex Carey who is still there to post 378/6 in 73 overs to lead by 44 runs.
It was a hard toil for the England bowlers with them taken to the cleaners. Brydon Carse picked up 3 wickets while Captain Ben Stokes picked up 2 wickets but both went for runs while Jofra Archer was their best bowler as he finished with 1/74 in 20 overs. What did not help England were multiple dropped catches and that means Australia have their slight noses in front going into the moving day.
Australia begin on a positive note after bowing England out for 334 in the morning session
Joe Root and Jofra Archer resumed proceedings for England while Brendan Doggett had ball in hand for Australia. Doggett bowled a decent first over. Mitchell Starc had ball in hand from the other end as Archer held the pose by smashing the ball through extra cover for a boundary. Doggett continued and removed Archer for 38 off 36 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name as the pull shot was hit hard but Labuschagne was air born and took a fantastic diving catch at deep backward square leg.
Joe Root was unbeaten on 138 off 206 balls with 15 fours and a maximum to his name as England were bowled out for 334 with 9 extras given by the hosts.
Mitchell Starc was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 6/75 in 20 overs. Michael Neser finished with 1/43 in 14 overs. Scott Boland finished with 1/87 in 19 overs. Brendan Doggett finished with 1/81 in 15.2 overs. Cameron Green bowled 8 overs for 43 runs.
Travis Head and Jake Weatherald walked out to bat for Australia while Jofra Archer had ball in hand for England. Archer started with a maiden. Gus Atkinson took the new ball from the other end. He also bowled a maiden. Archer followed it up with another maiden. Atkinson continued as Weatherald broke the shackles by slicing it through backward point for a boundary. Weatherald got a lucky boundary away as he got the top edge over the keeper for a boundary.
Archer continued and gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side as a bonus. Atkinson bowled a decent over. Archer bowled another probing over. Weatherald drove Atkinson through mid-off for a boundary. Weatherald once again whipped the ball through the midwicket region for a boundary. He went again by crunching it through backward point for a boundary. Archer continued and got the outside edge of Head which went straight to keeper Jamie Smith who put down a sitter when Head was batting on 3*. Weatherald added salt to the wounds by slashing hard as the ball went away to the fence at gully region.
Brydon Carse came into the attack now. Head broke his shackles now by slicing it over backward point for a boundary and then slashed him over deep backward point for the maximum. Head got a triple as the 50 came up for Australia and of the partnership in 10 overs. Ben Stokes came into the attack next. Head got a triple while Weatherald slapped him between backward point and gully for a boundary. Australia were 57/0 in 11 overs when Drinks was taken in the first session.
Carse continued after the Break as Weatherald took him on by ramping over the slips for a maximum. Stokes continued as Head drove it straight down the ground for a boundary. Head went after him again as he whipped it over midwicket for a boundary. Carse gave a much needed breakthrough for England as he removed Head for 33 off 43 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name as he miscued it to mid-on where Atkinson took the catch. Marnus Labuschagne came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon.
Stokes continued and overstepped. He bowled a decent over. Carse continued as Labuschagne cut the short ball between point and gully for a boundary. Stokes continued and overstepped while Labuschagne drove past mid-on for a boundary. Weatherald tucked Carse through fine leg for a boundary. He hit another boundary by nailing the upper cut as the 100 came up for Australia in 17.2 overs. Weatherald reached his maiden Test fifty in 45 balls. Labuschagne took on Carse next by hitting him for consecutive boundaries through backward square leg and then through covers.
Stokes continued and bowled a tight over. Will Jacks came into the attack next and gifted 4byes to the batting team as a bonus. Weatherald hit Jacks for a boundary tickling it past the keeper for a boundary. Marnus hit a boundary off Jacks as well by getting it past mid-on. Ben Stokes bowled the final over before Tea. The 50-run stand was up between the two players Weatherald and Labuschagne. Australia reached 130/1 in 21 overs with Weatherald on 59* off 56 balls and Labuschagne on 27* off 29 balls when we all paused for Tea Break.
Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne falls but Australia made steady progress in 2nd session
Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne came to resume for Australia while Jofra Archer had ball in hand for England. Archer bowled a quiet over. Gus Atkinson took the ball from the other end. He too kept it tight. Archer continued and bowled a decent over. Weatherald hit Atkinson for a boundary through backward point. Archer continued as Weatherald hit him for a boundary with the cut shot through backward point. But Archer hit back and got rid of Weatherald for 72 off 78 balls with 12 fours and one six to his name via a searing yorker which befuddled the batter.
Captain Steve Smith came out to bat next. Atkinson bowled a miserly over. Archer continued as the 150 came up for Australia in 27.2 overs with Smith getting off the mark with a brace. Atkinson bowled a maiden. Archer bowled another good over. Atkinson bowled another maiden. Archer continued as Labuschagne took him on with a pull and the top edge went over deep fine leg for the maximum. Carse returned to the attack as Smith flicked it away through mid-on for a boundary.
Archer continued as Labuschagne lifted his front leg and helped it on its way to fine leg for a boundary. He got to 1000 runs in Day-Night Tests. Australia were 175/2 in 34 overs when we all paused for the Drinks Break in the second session. Carse continued after the break as Labuschagne went for the pull and flew over the keeper for a boundary as he got to his 25th Test fifty in 67 balls.
Ben Stokes came back into the attack as Labuschagne punished him by pulling to deep fine leg for a boundary. Marnus hit Carse through deep fine leg for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Stokes gave England another breakthrough removing Marnus for 65 off 78 balls with 9 fours and one six to his name as the outside edge found Smith. Cameron Green came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary to deep fine leg as the 200 came up for Australia in 38 overs.
Carse hit Smith on the elbow as the physio came out to check him and he was fine to continue after that. Smith got a triple as well. Green drove the ball through extra cover for a boundary. Carse continued and bowled a maiden. Stokes continued as Green got the outside edge past second slip for a boundary. Carse bowled another good over. Stokes bowled the last over before Dinner as Green sliced the full toss from the outer half of the bat to deep third man for a boundary. Australia reached 228/3 in 44 overs with Smith on 24* and Green on 22* as we all paused now for the Dinner Break.
Australia surge ahead despite losing 3 wickets in extended night session under the lights
Steve Smith and Cameron Green resumed proceedings for Australia while Gus Atkinson had ball in hand for England. Green hit Atkinson for a boundary via a pull through backward square leg. Jofra Archer had ball in hand from the other end. Smith hit him by going for the pull shot and got a top edge over the keeper and slips for a boundary. Smith then ramped Archer over first slip for the maximum. Atkinson continued and bowled a maiden. Archer bowled a tight over.
Cameron Green got hit on the gloves and was in pain as the physio came out and checked on him even as the 50-run stand came up between the two batters. Atkinson bowled a quiet over. Archer continued as Smith freed his arms and cut it past backward point for a boundary. The 250 came up for Australia in 49.3 overs. Green stood tall and steered the ball through third man for a boundary. Atkinson continued as Smith played the late cut through third man for a boundary. Smith hit another boundary by flicking it to mid-on and midwicket. Smith reached his fifty in 67 balls, his 14th against England.
Archer bowled a quiet over. Atkinson bowled another decent over. Carse returned to the attack and was welcomed back with a boundary by flat batting it and slapping over mid-off for a boundary. Green got a triple as well while Smith got a top edge that went over the keeper and third man Pope for the maximum. Atkinson continued and bowled a decent over. Ben Stokes came back into the attack. He kept it tight. Carse provided the breakthrough as he cleaned up Green for 45 off 57 balls with 7 fours to his name as exposing the stumps cost the batter. Alex Carey came out to bat next. He got a lifeline straightaway as Ben Duckett put him down a dolly at gully. He got off the mark next ball.
Carse got two in the over as he removed Steve Smith for 61 off 85 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to his name thanks to a one-handed stunner from Will Jacks at backward square leg. Josh Inglis came out to bat as Drinks was taken on the field. Stokes continued as Carey slashed him away over gully for a boundary. Carey managed to get a triple as well. Carse continued as the 300 came up for Australia in 58.3 overs. Stokes continued as Inglis sliced it away through gully for a boundary. Inglis crunched him away past backward point for a boundary. Carey hit Carse for a triple.
Stokes continued as Inglis took it to him as he hit him past second slip for a boundary and then punched him through cover point for a boundary. Carse continued and bowled a decent over. Stokes continued as Inglis was put down by Duckett a tough one-handed catch at gully. Stokes hit back hard as he knocked over Inglis for 23 off 25 balls with 4 fours to his name. Michael Neser came out to bat next. He survived a LBW scare as he got an inside edge onto the pads with England burning the review.
Carse continued as Carey drilled him down the ground for a boundary. Australia took the lead as well. Stokes continued and bowled a decent over. Archer came for his final burst as Neser got a triple. Carey too got a triple. Gus Atkinson came back into the attack. He bowled a decent over. Archer continued as another catch went down with Carse dropping at extra cover with Neser getting a lifeline. Neser hit Atkinson for a triple as the 350 came up for Australia.
Carey got another chance as Root dropped him at slip as the ball went away to the fence. Carey then crunched Atkinson through cover point for a boundary. Archer continued as Neser hammered it away through cover point for a boundary. Carey drove Atkinson through mid-off for a boundary. Archer came to bowl the last over of the day and bowled a decent over. Australia were 378/6 in 73 overs with Carey on 46* off 45 balls with 5 fours to his name while Neser was batting on 15* off 30 balls with one four to his name. 18 extras given by England so far.
A hard toil for the English bowlers. Brydon Carse picked up 3/113 in 17 overs. Ben Stokes the captain picked up 2/93 in 17 overs. Jofra Archer picked up 1/74 in 20 overs. Gus Atkinson bowled 18 overs and gave away 78 runs. Will Jacks bowled an over for 9 runs. Australia lead by 44 runs with 4 wickets in hand.
What Lies Ahead on Day 3
Australia have had a great day and have edged ahead in the contest. They lead by 44 runs with 4 wickets in hand in their first innings. Alex Carey is still there and Michael Neser is with him. They will want to add more runs and take the lead close to 100. England would want to wipe out the last 4 wickets and then get batting and battle hard.
Let’s see what the moving day i.e. Day 3 has instore for all of us.
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