CRICKET
Day 2: Boland & Starc put England on the mat
Mitchell Starc and the debutant Scott Boland picked up two wickets each to destroy the English top-order before stumps on day 2.
Earlier, Australia was all-out on 267 runs due to some superb bowling from the 39-year old youngster James Anderson who picked up 4 wickets.
England 1st innings 185 all-out
Joe Root 50 Cummins 3-36 Bairstow 35 Lyon 3-36 Stokes 25 Starc 2-54
Australia 1st innings 267 all-out
Harris 76 Anderson 4-33 Warner 38 Robinson 2-64 T. Head 27 Wood 2-71
England 2nd innings 31-4
Root 12* Boland 2-1 Hameed 7 Starc 2-11
England’s batting lineup stumbled once again in this series as they lost 4 wickets in 12 overs before stumps on day 2.
England bowlers tried their best to drag their side back in the game with some outstanding bowling especially by the experienced Anderson who claimed 4 wickets today.
Australia was all out on 267 runs but they were able to get an 82 runs lead in the first innings.
Australia is very close to another victory against England on Australian soil and they will also win this series after winning this match.
Australia lost their nightwatchman, Nathan Lyon earlier today but the major jolt they faced was the dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne who got out on 1 run when the score was just 84-3.
Mark Wood dismissed the number 1 ranked Test batter with a brilliant delivery that got a thick edge and went straight into Joe Root’s hands who was standing in the slips.
After losing two early wickets, all the Australian hopes were on the shoulders of Smith and Harris.
Sadly, their partnership didn’t last long because Smith was clean bowled on a beautiful delivery bowled by one of the best fast bowlers in Test history, James Anderson.
Australia lost wickets at regular intervals without managing any big partnerships.
Australia was 8 down on 219 runs and the lead was just 34 runs.
However, skipper Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc built a crucial 34 runs partnership and helped their side to pass the 250 run mark.
Pat Cummins scored 21 runs while Starc remained not out on 24 runs.
Australia got an 82 runs lead in the first innings.
Anderson’s brilliance
James Anderson bowled a quality spell today against the in-form batting lineup of Australia.
He proved today that why he is the 3rd highest wicket-taker of Test cricket.
The star bowler picked up 4 wickets for just 33 runs in 23 overs.
Anderson also bowled 10 maiden overs in his spell.
He picked up the important wickets of Harris, Warner, Smith, and Cummins.
James Anderson has picked up 635 wickets in his Test career so far, the most by any fast bowler.
Starc & Boland snuff out England hopes
The Australian bowlers also bowled splendidly in the 12 overs they were given to bowl today before stumps.
Starc picked up two wickets in two balls in the 5th over of the innings.
He first dismissed Zak Crawley and then on the next ball he got David Malan LBW thanks to a brilliant short-length delivery.
Malan reviewed it but the ball was hitting the stumps clearly.
On the hat-trick delivery, Starc almost got the wicket of Joe Root off an unplayable delivery but unfortunately, the ball just missed the outside edge.
England were 2 down on just 7 runs and they were trying to negotiate the remaining overs without losing any more wickets.
But the debutant, Scott Boland struck twice in the 2nd last over of the day.
He first dismissed the out-of-form Haseeb Hameed and after the gap of just 1 delivery, he removed the nightwatchman, Jack Leach, for a duck.
England lost 4 wickets for 31 runs before stumps on day 2 and once again all their hopes are on the shoulders of their skipper Joe Root who is unbeaten on 12 runs.