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England are hanging by a thread in this Ashes series. The mishandling of key situations has been England’s story hitherto. Despite reducing Australia to 94/4 and then 185/5 on day one, they failed to take advantage of it as the Aussies doubled the score via Carey’s hundred and Starc’s fifty. With the bat yesterday, England weren’t reckless but couldn’t put any sort of pressure on the disciplined Australian bowlers. Three wickets for captain Cummins, two apiece for Lyon and Boland, Green broke a fifty stand to usher his team in a commanding position.
Standing ovation from the Adelaide crowd for their two native players who have put their team on top of the proceedings. Few England players congratulate the Australian opener as well. Head, unbeaten on 142, raises his bat and soaks in the applause, calls Carey to join him as they walk past the boundary rope together. Lovely scenes!
Unbeaten century stand for the fifth wicket, Australia’s lead above 350, Archer down on pace, Stokes not bowling a single over in this innings, things are looking rather bleak for the visitors.
Clipped through midwicket and there’s a big cheer from the Adelaide crowd as Carey brings up his fifty. On the previous ball, a drag down from Jacks was pummeled in the same direction for four runs.
Beautifully timed! 135.9kph, full again, Carey plonks his front-foot and caresses the ball through extra cover. Stokes gives the chase from mid-off but the ball beats him to the rope.
Earlier, when Will Jacks was bowling, Head stepped out of the crease again, got close to the pitch of the ball and tonked it straight of mid-on. No need to run for that. The hundred partnership between the two local lads is up.
Low chance and Brook can’t hang on. Head sticks his tongue out and has a million-dollar smile on his face. A good length delivery outside off, Head arches back a fraction and cuts hard, flew to Brook and he gets both hands to it, but shells it. Archer’s head goes down in disappointment, and in the next over bowled by Joe Root, Head accomplishes the milestone. This is Head’s fourth successive Test ton at Adelaide – two against West Indies, one versus India and now this one. Certainly takes the biscuit.
Will Jacks shakes his head. He knows it’s not the greatest ball he’s ever bowled yet he gets Khawaja. On a shortish length outside off, turns away, extra bounce, Khawaja shapes for the cut, the steep rise produces the top-edge and the catch is well-held by Jamie Smith. That’s a lucky break for England and Stokes is happy! He exits the scene for 40 off 51.
Just one wicket in that session. Stokes claps for the efforts of his players as he leads them off the field. Australia are effectively 204/2, in pole position. It’s been an atypical Head innings, he was measured in his approach and chose his responses according to what England bowled to him. He looks primed for another ton on his homeground.
Carse started with an outstanding spell and was unfortunate not to get Marnus. Tongue though got his number and the spin from England hasn’t reaped rewards with Jacks erring on the shorter side. Archer just bowled one spell in that session and was clearly down on pace. No sign of Stokes as well so far. Back for the last session in 15 minutes.
In the air but steers clear of the packed off-side field. A wry smile from both Head and Stokes. Full and far outside off, Head bends his back knee and smashes the cover drive, rockets to the fence. England are finding it hard to keep the squeeze on, what should’ve been the case ideally after the wicket of Labuschagne.
Head has made it a point to capitalize on anything short and wide, something he usually tends to do, while Usman Khawaja has swept Will Jacks fine to beat Jofra Archer at deep square leg to his weaker side.
There was an appeal for caught-behind on the previous delivery but the faint deflection was due to contact with the thigh-pad. Labuschagne, however, falls on the very next ball as Brook grasps the edge at second slip inches off the turf. Sharp catch and Tongue gets rewarded for keeping the intensity high and probing in the right channel.
Josh Tongue bowling consistenly in the 140kph range while Brydon Carse is back from round the wicket. He goes full on middle, Head gets forward and flicks firmly, wide of mid-wicket and eludes mid-on as well, zooms away, nice roll of the wrists. Slip and a forward short-leg for Labuschagne as Will Jacks enters the attack.
He is very strong behind square on the off side and invariably throws his hands at the mere mention of width. Gets the desired connection on the flay and deep backward point has no chance whatsoever.
Pope flings himself to his left to intercept a cover drive from Marnus Labuschagne, who is at the crease early because Jake Weatherald missed the tuck to wear it on the pad. Carse, who leaked runs in the first innings with the new ball, strikes in his very first over.
England have been bowled out for 286 runs as Archer nicks off to Labuschagne at first slip. Thanks to Stokes and the Barbadian biffer who for a change showed a lot of application, the deficit is in double-digits.
The scrambled seam works like a charm once again for Mitchell Starc as the well-set batter is flummoxed. Jags back in from a full length and knocks over the stumps. The southpaw is livid with himself as there was a hundred for the taking and his job was only half done as far as the team situation is concerned, but in his defence it was a majestic peach delivered at 143.6kmph.
The deficit is under 100. Wicketless opening hour and England have added 57 with Stokes batting a lot more positively today. The England captain has struck five boundaries this morning and Archer is giving him solid company. Australia will aspire to break this stand with the second new ball.
Stokes rides the bounce and fetches the ball from outside off to send a short delivery from Cummins searing in front of square. He’s seeing the ball like a hawk and judging the length in a flash. His stand with Archer is now worth a ton.
A cute little tickle on the leg side and Archer collects four to approach a half-century. It is common knowledge that he is no slouch with the bat, but to make a valuable contribution against an esteemed Australian attack in a pressure situation is no mean feat.
The partnership between Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer has crossed 70, and the strokeplay therein has been sumptuous. Be it the skipper’s driving through covers or the lusty blow dealt by the pacer over mid-wicket, the left-right duo has entertained the crowd in Adelaide.
