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Having done his bit in retaining the Ashes in Adelaide, skipper Pat Cummins will miss the rest of the series with back rehabilitation. A glance at the pitch and stand-in captain Steve Smith declared an all-pace attack. For England, Gus Atkinson is back to replace Jofra Archer while Jacob Bethell will play his first ever Ashes Test after the selectors ran out of patience with Ollie Pope. Bruised and battered, the visitors have pride to salvage as the lopsided series nears culmination.
A grand total of 20 wickets in the day and we still have 1 more over left. If the Aussies are going to send out nightwatchmen the figure might increase. The curator will hope that both sides fare well with the bat in the second innings to alleviate some tension because this pitch is already under the scanner for being a bowler’s paradise. Both sides have struggled to find a way to score. There’s been a lot of seam movement and on occasions extra bounce too. Definitely not in the alarming category though.
The abled tail-ender wants to eat into the deficit as much as possible. Backs away to slap this short of length delivery in the gap between mid-off and extra-cover.
Unnecessary bravado from Carse but that’s BazBall for you. Plays an ambitious pull shot out of nowhere to this short ball and skews a top edge that flies so high. Boland waits under it at long leg and takes a tough catch. The ball was swirling a fair bit.
We’ve had 17 wickets tumbling already on Day 1 here and there’s still some action left. Will Australia end up batting for the second time before stumps today? That would be crazy! The players are taking drinks with Australia still leading by 75 runs.
Brook has been caught in the crease and umpire Chris Gaffaney’s finger points to the heavens, that looked plumb to the naked eye. England have lost half their side now.
Boland’s inswinger was troubling him constantly and he’s bit the dust eventually to an absolute corker – jagged back in off the seam and whooshed past the inside edge, struck Brook on the back leg and in front of off, would’ve been crashing into the stumps and he doesn’t even mull over a review.
Out of form, Harry Brook is looking to impose himself on the bowlers – fraction short and he’s quick to judge the length, swivels across on the front-foot and tonks the pull over wide mid-on, went sailing over the ropes for a maximum.
Seven of Root’s 15 ducks in Tests have come against Australia. Steady bowling from Neser, he was preferred ahead of Doggett today and he’s making the new ball dance to his tunes at the ‘G’. Carey dived forward and got both hands underneath to complete the chance after Root pressed forward and played for the non-existent movement.
Most catches in Test cricket as a fielder
214 – Joe Root
211 – Steven Smith
210 – Rahul Dravid
205 – Mahela Jayawardene
200 – Jacques Kallis
With Smith snaffling the edge from Crawley, Australia have reaped three wickets already in what is proving to be a frenetic final session. Joe Root and Harry Brook are out in the middle, tasked with rescuing a sinking ship.
Tongue claims a sterling fifer and Australia have been bundled out inside 46 overs. He raises the ball to soak in the applause and flaunts a big smile. Attractive delivery that, lands it on a length around off and gets it to straighten. The line forces Boland to play at it, and the thick outside edge is pouched at second slip. The Barmy Army are cock-a-hoop as this first-innings demolition of Australia sets England up nicely in this Test. Tea has been called.
Stokes takes a good catch and Starc departs cheaply. Goes for another aerial stroke and pays the price this time. Pitched up full and across the left-hander, Starc doesn’t bother keeping it along the carpet as he shapes up for an uppish drive. Feeble connection and the England captain moves back and to his right from mid-off to make a tough catch look easy. As we write, Tongue has castled Neser to leave Australia nine down.
Suicidal stuff from the hosts, that too in a situation where they could least afford it. High-risk run pursued after tapping this short of length delivery with gentle hands towards short cover. The bowler Brydon Carse sprung into action forward, picked up the ball, turned and rattled the stumps directly with a razor-sharp throw.
Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue have given away two boundaries apiece as Michael Neser and Cameron Green try to rebuild the Australian innings. A fiery hour that after Lunch – 48 runs and 2 wickets.
Stokes had Carey nicking to the keeper in the second innings at Adelaide and the talisman has produced an encore. It looks like an innocuous ball down leg, Carey thought he could glance fine for four but found leg gully to perfection. The man was stationed there precisely for the unchecked shot and the plan works like a charm.
Khawaja got into his groove post Lunch with a delectable drive through mid-off but he exits the scene soon thereafter. Caught by Jamie Smith! A big noise and England are celebrating, umpire Chris Gaffaney shakes his head however. Root was confident at slip and Stokes took his word for the review. Snicko confirms a tiny scratch and Khawaja is a goner. Beautifully bowled by Atkinson, he’s been on the button since the break, angled in and left Khawaja at the eleventh hour.
Australia Tongue-tied heading into Lunch at 72/4 as England dominate on Boxing Day
Roaring applause from the Barmy Army as the English players walk off the field. They won the toss, put Australia in and will be the happier bunch going into the break.
Gus Atkinson was consistent, but Brydon Carse sprayed the new ball around. At 27 for 0, Head chopped one back onto the sticks and Weatherald was caught down leg. Labuschagne was foxed by a beauty and Smith was done through the gate – the scoreline quickly became 51 for 4 before Khawaja and Carey arrested the slide.
Josh Tongue was the pick of the bowlers with a 3-wicket bounty in his sublime spell. Stokes rotated his three pacers around and it did yield dividends. There is movement on offer and the visitors will believe they can elbow this pair out upon resumption.
More aesthetic runs for Khawaja, he’s looking in fine touch again – overpitched by Tongue who is into his 8th over and the left-hander uncorks a drive back past the non-striker, no need to run for those.
Cleaned up! Tongue has been on fire this morning and he’s netted the big fish for England – pitched up and cuts back into the right-hander, Smith moves across and fancies an extravagant drive, gets beaten on the inside edge and the ball disturbs the woodwork. He ended up playing slightly across the line and walks away admonishing himself. Tongue has three now and England seem to be a turning a corner in the Ashes, albeit a little too late.
On the shorter side from Carse and Smith is quick to latch onto it – budges across, rolls his wrists and then hammers the pull in front of square to fetch four.
Short and rushing down leg, Smith got inside the line and tried to let it pass, did it flick the glove on its way though to the keeper?
Tongue was sure, Jamie Smith wasn’t all that interested, but they’ve taken a chance and reviewed. Looks close and the recently infamous Snicko is summoned – the ball has brushed the thigh on its path and England have lost the review.
Australia find themselves in a spot of bother as England quicks vindicate the decision to have the first bite of the cherry. The edge flies straight down the throat of first slip and Root is safe as houses. Lovely bowling from Tongue, he’s pitched that up in the channel just outside off and the length drew Labuschagne into the drive. The ball holds its line, he went hard on the shot to his own peril. Three wickets inside the first hour and drinks have been called.
Drags on! England were on the lookout for early wickets after inserting Australia so Atkinson and Tongue have delivered the goods.
Short of a good length and angling across the left-hander, Head was rooted to the crease as he went chasing after it on the back-foot drive. The thick inside edge crashes back into his stumps.
Weatherald will feel unlucky to be dismissed in this fashion, but England will not care a jot – full and the angle zooms it down leg, Weatherald shuffled across on the flick and only manages a thin inside edge, goes to the right of the keeper and Smith dives to pouch it with glee.
Has Head been strangled down leg? Not an emphatic appeal and umpire Kumar Dharmasena turns it down – short of a length and heading down leg, Head got inside the line on the whip and missed, clearly grazed the thigh-pad on its way to Jamie Smith.
The southpaw is up and running with consecutive boundaries. A couple of gentle half-volleys have been dispatched through the off-side and the fast outfield aided the cause. Weatherland also joins the party with a boundary to sweeper cover.
Too straight from Carse – curls back into Head’s pads and beats him on the flick, smashes the pad and the ricochet runs away down to the long leg boundary.
A good toss to win for England on a pitch which is supposed to help the bowlers. Michael Neser has edged out Brendan Doggett for the final Australian spot. We’re done with all the Boxing day formalities and the players are out in the middle – Gus Atkinson marks his run-up and we’re ready for the first ball. Head and Jake Weatherald are at the crease. Head is on strike.
Teams:
Australia: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith(c), Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey(w), Cameron Green, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Scott Boland
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue
