The Ashes is seeing its first actually one-sided day of the sequence – and Pat Cummins and Australia are on the incorrect aspect of it.
After losing a really perfect alternative to arrange a big first innings whole on day one, it’s gone even worse for the guests on day two.
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Australia was knocked over for 317 and was already trailing by halfway by the third session as a free-swinging English batting lineup led by centurion Zak Crawley exploded.
Some followers are describing it as Cummins’ “worst ever Test” because the Aussie skipper endures a nightmare day.
He was out first ball driving recklessly, was criticised by Ricky Ponting for not taking the brand new ball, dropped a catch and has been punished within the overs he’s bowled.
Cummins’ discipline placements had been once more put underneath the microscope as he did not comprise Crawley and gave Joe Root the warmest of welcomes at first of his innings.
It left an exasperated Mark Waugh tweeting: “I just can’t get my head around these Aust field placements on the off side.”
Nasser Hussain additionally seen Australia’s rudderless method.
“They have been sloppy, haven’t they, Australia? Probably their poorest day of the series,” he stated.
“They have been scrappy. Dropped catches. Fielders haven’t picked up balls. Lots of players waving their arms around.
“Often when you look down on the Australian side historically you know who the captain is, whether it be Taylor, Border, Ponting Waugh.
“If you look down today there have been a lot of cricketers waving their arms around trying to help their captain, Cummins.”
2.40am – Root gone too as Hazlewood strikes
Shane Warne at all times stated you had been solely two fast wickets away from being again on prime – however this innings would possibly show the exception.
Australia added Joe Root’s scalp to Zak Crawley’s inside a five-over interval however the hosts are hardly in a panic at 4/351.
Still, it was good for Josh Hazlewood to see the ball crash in to Root’s stumps after such a barren day on the workplace.
Root was out for 84 off simply 95 deliveries.
2.20am – Crawley drags on simply in need of double century
On a day like at this time Australia has to look to the smallest of victories – and its been capable of deny Zak Crawley a double ton.
The Old Trafford crowd stood as one to acknowledge Crawley’s historic innings after he dragged a Cameron Green supply on to his stumps on 189.
Coming from simply 182 balls, Crawley flayed the Aussie assault to maneuver to the highest of the checklist of run scorers within the sequence and go away England in a dominant place at 3/336.
2.10am – England has the lead
The Poms handed Australia’s first innings rating for the lack of simply two wickets and inside 55 overs – and fittingly it got here through a Zak Crawley down-the-ground six.
The guests have formally moved in to recreation administration mode as a draw turns into their solely life like consequence.
Mike Atherton criticised the number of Cameron Green as Australia’s tempo bowlers toil away with out the assistance of a frontline spinner.
“This is the selection really. Clearly Mitch Marsh deserved his place after the Headingley game,” Atherton stated.
“He looked very sketchy with the bat, didn’t he, Cameron Green? And he has only been utilised for five overs here. So that’s where Australia, I’m sure if they could have their time again, would think about matters more carefully.”
1.30am – Crawley passes 150 as Aussies haven’t any solutions
Australia’s lead is underneath 50 runs as Zak Crawley passes 150 and the onslaught continues.
His run-a-ball knock is the quickest 150 at Old Trafford in Test historical past. Joe Root additionally introduced up his half century early within the third session because the pitch appears flat and Australia’s bowlers look flatter.
12.40am – Second session is a massacre
England heads to tea having added 178 runs in 25 overs within the second session – simply brutal numbers for Australia.
Zak Crawley is 132 not out off 128 balls, having added 100 runs within the session, and Joe Root is 44 off 35.
After Crawley and Moeen Ali (54) added 121 for the second wicket, Crawley and Root have already placed on 109 for the third in simply 13.5 overs.
“Australia had no answer at all,” Mike Atherton stated in commentary.
Pat Cummins (0/56 from 9 overs) topped the checklist of some fairly ugly bowling figures. Josh Hazlewood (0/41 from seven), Mitch Marsh (0/19 from three) and Mitchell Starc (2/50 from 11) additionally copped it.
And the spin division within the absence of Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy? Let’s simply say it’s been a battle as Travis Head (0/48 from six overs) proves a poor substitute.
It will get worse too as Starc, Australia’s solely wicket taker, seems to be battling a decent hamstring.
The sight of 1000’s of England followers singing “The Great Escape” in the course of the tea break was certainly symbolic of the place this sequence seems to be heading for the house aspect after they trailed 2-0.
12.05am – Crawley reaches his hundred off 93 balls
Zak Crawley is starting to have an actual say in how this sequence is set after notching his first century in opposition to Australia.
The English opener had been regular with out actually occurring with it in each match up to now, scoring not less than one knock of 40-plus within the first three Tests.
But he’s gone huge at this time, reaching his 100 off 93 balls to set an ideal platform for his nation.
His second 50 got here off simply 26 balls because the Aussies unravel within the discipline.
11.35pm – Khawaja screamer snaps partnership
Mitchell Starc has break up the harmful partnership with some unimaginable fielding by Usman Khawaja at mid-wicket.
Moeen Ali regarded to tug a Starc supply by the on aspect however his shot sailed in Khawaja’s neighborhood who dove to his proper and snapped the ball up.
11.30pm – Danger indicators looming for Australia
Pat Cummins’ defensive fields and continuous method of getting his bowlers ship quick balls is inflicting main issues for the Aussies on day two.
Despite a couple of scares for Zak Crawley, the England opener and Moeen Ali have regarded as protected as homes as they carry the margin down.
Without a frontline spinner Cummins threw the ball to part-timer Travis Head, however he lasted solely two overs earlier than he was pulled from the rotation.
Head gave up 19 runs as Crawley and Ali went after the inexperienced offspiner.
10.30pm – Mark Waugh fumes over Aussie discipline placements
It’s been a subject of dialog all through the Ashes and on day two of the fourth Test Australian cricket nice Mark Waugh poured gasoline on the fireplace.
Pat Cummins has copped it from all corners over his defensive discipline placements in an effort to attempt to curtail England’s Bazball method.
Fielders have been positioned on the rope, providing up simple singles as an alternative of making an attempt to lure the Poms into dangerous photographs.
Waugh had sufficient on day two and let his frustrations out on social media.
“I just can’t get my head around these Aust field placements on the off side,” he wrote.
“Tall, good pace, fast bowlers often hitting the splice of the bat with no fieldsmen near the bat between 4/5th slip and mid off. Hang on there is a backward point for Starc v Ali.”
10.05pm – Lunch on day 2
The opening session of the second day goes the best way of England.
With two fast wickets to wash up the Australian tail the Poms set about their first innings however had been dealt an early hiccup.
Mitchell Starc struck to take away Ben Duckett, however then it was all Zak Crawley and Moeen Ali as they ticked the scoreboard over.
Crawley survived a number of shut calls with two edges falling in need of the slip cordon earlier than he efficiently overturned umpire Joel Wilson’s LBW resolution with an immediate assessment.
9.50pm – Crawley survives one other shut name
Cameron Green thought he had his man after a supply thumped into the pads of the opener.
An emphatic attraction from the Aussie contingent noticed the finger raised by the umpire, however Crawley despatched it upstairs instantly for assessment.
The DRS proved to be his saving grace with the ultimate indicator displaying the ball had swung an excessive amount of and was lacking leg stump.
9.40pm – Poms settle after early struggle
Moeen Ali and Zak Crawley have wrestled again the momentum after Australia obtained on prime within the early going.
Ali retained his spot at first drop and has displayed a gradual head and he and Crawley hold the scoreboard ticking over.
Crawley has survived some minor scares with a number of edges falling in need of the slip cordon.
Surprisingly, Pat Cummins handed the brand new ball to Josh Hazlewood, as an alternative of partnering Mitchell Starc.
It left Ricky Ponting perplexed.
“It’s actually a question I can’t answer,” Ponting stated.
“The only thing is if it was a match-up-type thing or Hazelwood obviously potentially being a little bit fresher coming into this game than what Cummins particularly is.
“He has gone too long getting himself into the attack as well. There has been enough happening. A few gone past the outside of the bat. Edges that haven’t quite carried. Cummins has to get himself into the attack and quickly.”
8.55pm – Starc strikes first blood
The best begin for Australia with Mitchell Starc eradicating Ben Duckett within the early levels of England’s first innings.
An ideal supply from the left armer moved away from Duckett and caught a feather of his edge earlier than Alex Carey claimed it in his gloves.
8.35pm – Woakes cleans up Hazlewood
Chris Woakes has claimed a five-wicket haul after eradicating Australia’s closing wicket of Josh Hazlewood.
A nothing prod outdoors of off stump flew off the sting of Hazlewood’s bat and into the arms of Ben Duckett at slip.
Australia tallied 317 runs with England now anticipated to go all out with the willow in hand as they give the impression of being to stage the sequence up.
8pm – Cummins’ idiocy known as out
One ball down and one wicket gone.
A full supply from James Anderson lured Pat Cummins right into a drive however his shot sailed into the awaiting arms of Ben Stokes at cowl.
Fans watching on couldn’t imagine the shot try on the opening ball of the day from Cummins when Australia had been determined to pile runs on the board.
The innings nearly got here to an finish in the course of the very subsequent over when Josh Hazlewood edge a ball to the slip cordon, he was saved by a Chris Woakes no ball.
7.30pm – Aussie legend calls out choice ‘mistake’
For the primary time in 11 years, Australia entered a Test match with no entrance line spinner after electing to drop Todd Murphy in favour of Cameron Green.
The resolution means the Aussies are reliant upon 5 quick bowlers whereas probably getting pinch hits from Travis Head and doubtlessly even Marnus Labuschagne.
It’s a choice that didn’t go over nicely with former Australian captain Steve Waugh who labelled it a “mistake”.
“I tend to disagree with it,” Waugh stated on SEN radio. “I think it’s a mistake, particularly in Manchester where the ball does turn.
“I know they’re probably looking at the forecast and saying there’s a bit of rain around, but you do need variation in the attack.
“Particularly with the way England plays. They go at the bowlers really hard and we’ve got four right-arm quick bowlers so there’s a bit of sameness about our attack.”
Fellow Australian icon Ricky Ponting additionally expressed his confusion after watching Moeen Ali generate some appreciable spin on the opening day.
“I was still surprised they didn’t go in with [a spinner],” Ponting stated concerning the Aussies.
“Your preference is always to go in with a spinner – unless you are brilliant at reading weather forecasts and cricket pitches. So if you haven’t got one, you can be found out very easy.”
Labuschagne nonetheless backed the choice of the selectors to go in with no top-line spinner, believing the wicket will play into the arms of Australia’s quick bowlers.
“Because the wicket has been undercover for a few days, it didn’t have that really rock-hardness,” Labuschagne stated.
“And the thatchy grass is spinning. So once that wears off, I think the middle of the week it’s going to actually not spin so much.
“The ends will rough up, eventually, if the weather stays good. But I think it’s actually going to spin less as the game goes on from the good part of the wicket.”
Source: www.news.com.au
