England face an uphill battle in second Ashes Test after struggling with the new ball as Australia ramp up the pressure
England have a mammoth task ahead in the twilight period if they want to prevent Australia from taking control of the second Ashes Test match at the Gabba in Brisbane. Joe Root and Jofra Archer put on a commendable last-wicket stand, giving the visitors a decent total to defend – or so it seemed on paper.
The Three Lions were underwhelming with the new ball, allowing Australia to rack up 130 runs for just one wicket’s loss. Ex-England bowler Stuart Broad didn’t mince his words when assessing the opening session, labelling it a complete disaster for the tourists.
The Aussies are trailing Ben Stokes‘ team by 204 runs, who face an uphill battle going into the evening session. Here, the Mirror highlights some key moments you might have overlooked from the first session.
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England’s final wicket stand
Joe Root was the star of the show yesterday, scoring his first century in Australia and contributing an unbeaten 138* in England’s first innings. He demonstrated to his teammates how to bat under pressure and keep the scoreboard ticking over, reports the Express.
Root managed to shake off his past struggles, and his score is now the highest by a visiting batsman in a day-night Test in Australia, surpassing Pakistan’s Asad Shafiq, who scored 137 in Brisbane in 2016. It also matches the highest score by an English batsman in their first innings at the Gabba since Sir Ian Botham in 1986-87.
When Jofra Archer stepped up to the plate, England were teetering at 264-9 and considering declaring to get a few overs in at Australia under the floodlights. But by the end of their first innings, the tail-ender had piled on an extra 70 runs with Joe Root, marking England’s highest tenth wicket stand in Australia since 1951.
The BBC reports that Archer’s knock of 38 runs is the highest by a number 11 Down Under since 1903.
New ball woes
Unlike Mitchell Starc, who bagged two quick wickets with the new ball, England struggled to find their groove. The Australian left-armer is undoubtedly the best pink ball bowler in world cricket, but he didn’t have to sweat as much as he might have expected.
In hindsight, the dismissal of Ben Duckett was a cracking delivery, but England gifted the hosts too many runs. Australia were cruising at 30-0 while the visitors had already lost two wickets at the same stage.
It was a rather foreboding start to the match from the Aussies, and Jamie Smith fluffed a golden chance to dismiss Travis Head early.
The new Aussie opener was caught off guard by Archer’s extra bounce and edged behind to Smith, who got a firm glove to it, but somehow fumbled a straightforward catch. It was a massive opportunity and Australia looked set to make them pay for it.
Jake Weatherald found his rhythm, smashing some stunning shots and sending the ball to the boundary for four just a few balls after that missed catch. Brydon Carse seemed utterly out of his depth as Australia stacked up 23 runs in just two overs, with England’s attack bowling too short and too wide.
Ben Stokes stepped up to bowl, but he couldn’t conjure up his usual magic as Australia sped to 77-0 after only 13 overs, boasting a run rate of 6.00. The warning signs were flashing.
“Erratic would be how I’d describe it,” former England bowler Stuart Broad commented on Channel 7. “Particularly after Jamie Smith’s dropped catch. I can’t recall a single good ball going for four. This isn’t a 500-run pitch. They’re handing out fours at the moment.
“There are cracks in this pitch and 127-1 is an absolute disaster.”
Jamie Smith’s nightmare moment
Jamie Smith has had a promising start to his England Test career, but he’ll want to forget this morning’s dropped catch quickly after the tourists were made to pay. The Surrey keeper let Head slip through his fingers on three after Australia’s star player in Perth edged behind.
A superb delivery from Archer found the extra bounce in the pitch, and ex-England wicket keeper Matt Prior felt Smith ‘should have taken’ the catch.
Sharing his thoughts on TNT Sports, Prior said: “He didn’t do a lot wrong. Just got done by the extra bounce and pace.”
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Watch the Ashes live on TNT Sports
The Ashes gets underway on November 21 and all the action in the battle between England and Australia will be broadcast live on TNT Sports. Fans can tune in via discovery+ or Prime Video’s TNT Sports channel.
