England 213 for 8 (Stokes 45*, Brook 45, Archer 30*, Cummins 3-54, Boland 2-31, Lyon 2-51) trail Australia 371 (Carey 106, Khawaja 82, Archer 5-53) by 158 runs
There was more Snicko aggro, too, with both sides making their frustrations with the technology clear. England were aggrieved at Chris Gaffaney, the third umpire, giving Jamie Smith out caught behind off Cummins on the evidence from Real-Time Snickometer, following the controversy around Alex Carey’s non-dismissal on day one. Smith had survived moments before in bizarre circumstances, with Gaffaney determining the ball had come off his helmet, despite TV pictures suggesting contact with the glove, as Australia argued (although whether the ball had carried to Usman Khawaja at slip or not was a different matter).
Joe Root was also reprieved, with Gaffaney unconvinced that an inside edge on to pad had reached Carey’s gloves on the full. None of which detracted from the fact that England had seemingly torpedoed their own hopes once again with another flaccid batting display as temperatures approached 40C in Adelaide.
Archer did manage to stick around alongside Stokes to the close, putting on the second-longest partnership of the innings, though Australia’s lead was still above 150 and England faced the prospect of batting last on a surface that’s expected to break up in the heat.
The suspicion at the end of day one was that Australia had left plenty of runs on the table, despite Carey’s maiden Ashes hundred taking them beyond 300. England needed to make good on the promise of runs, that anticipation only sharpened by Starc striking five boundaries in 12 balls as Australia’s tail wagged to good effect. Archer was leaky but removed both Starc and Lyon on the way to a third five-wicket haul against Australia.
England’s openers made a solid enough start, though Ben Duckett rode his luck early on. Already Australia were showing a greater propensity to bowl with the discipline required on a baking morning, and Cummins made the breakthrough with a fine delivery that straightened and bounced to graze the shoulder of Zak Crawley’s bat through to Carey.
Much had been said about Lyon’s absence in Brisbane after he had only bowled two overs in the victory at Perth. He came into this game one wicket behind Glenn McGrath’s tally of 563 for Australia, having sat there since July when he was also omitted for the Jamaica Test against West Indies. But within the space of six balls, he had drawn level with and then overtaken McGrath to go second on the all-time list for Australia.
Ollie Pope’s dismal record against Australia only got worse as he chipped tamely to midwicket, before Duckett was removed by a jaffa that pitched on middle and turned past a defensive prod to hit the top of off.
At 42 for 3, England were already feeling the glare of the southern sun. Australia thought they had got Root early, too, when reviewing for a caught-behind of Scott Boland. But although replays confirmed he had edged the ball through to Carey via his pads, Gaffaney concluded that the ball had bounced on its way into the gloves.
Root did not last long after lunch, however, as Cummins lured him into poking at one defensively in the channel. Brook was more measured, after his “shocking” dismissals in the first two Tests, but showed flashes of aggression – skipping down to lamp Boland all the way for six over cover, and thrashing Starc to deep backward point to bring up the fifty stand with Stokes.
He survived being given out caught behind off Lyon on 44, technology this time backing up his belief that he hadn’t hit the ball – but only added one to his score before being dislodged by Cameron Green’s second legitimate delivery, another pearler that reversed just enough to catch the outside edge.
Stokes had buckled down at the other end, facing 35 balls before scoring his first boundary and adding only two more in an innings of monk-like self-abnegation that at least saw England fight to the close. He scowled furiously from beneath his helmet peak when Smith was told to go, despite more uncertainty surrounding the synching of Real-Time Snickometer, his mood only darkening as Boland removed Will Jacks and Brydon Carse in quick succession. Stokes has produced his fair share of miracles in an England shirt; it may need another to keep this Ashes campaign alive.
Alan Gardner is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick
