Australia want 174 runs and England seven wickets to win an enthralling first Ashes Test, with Usman Khawaja carrying his crew’s hopes on his shoulders after day 4 at Edgbaston.
Set 281 to win, Australia slumped from 0-61 to 3-107 on stumps, after David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith all fell within the area off eight overs late on Monday.
Stuart Broad was once more the chief destroyer, getting the world’s two top-ranked batsmen caught behind with Labuschagne falling to an outswinger and Smith an inswinger.
Khawaja stays as the important thing man, nonetheless on the crease on 34no after his first-innings century with nightwatchman Scott Boland on the different finish on 13.
After one other manic day that started with Joe Root making an attempt to reverse-scoop Pat Cummins’ first ball, each side will firmly imagine they will take a 1-0 lead within the sequence.
Rain is forecast for Tuesday morning in Birmingham and is because of clear by lunchtime, leaving all outcomes nonetheless on the desk.
But for durations of Monday, it appeared as if Australia had taken the higher hand.
David Warner and Khawaja had been each in management, with Warner wanting pretty much as good as he has at any level prior to now three years.
His swivel-pull was again, whereas he additionally minimize properly exterior off stump on a wicket that’s now missing tempo.
But simply when he and Khawaja seemed to be operating away with the chase, there was one other sting within the tail when Warner edged off to Robinson on 36.
That opened the door for Broad, who eliminated Labuschagne for 13 in near-identical vogue to his first-innings golden duck with a ball that moved away barely.
The packed Edgbaston crowd then went into overdrive when Smith was caught behind making an attempt to drive on six, with Broad delivering on his plan to take the pair down this summer season.
After his first-innings 141, Khawaja is already set to turn into solely the second Australian in historical past to bat on all 5 days of a Test match.
But extra historical past awaits for the guests.
If Australia had been to achieve down 281, it might mark their highest profitable chase in England since Donald Bradman’s Invincibles ran down 404 at Headingley in 1948.
The main concern for England is Moeen Ali on a pitch providing some help for spinners.
He continued to wrestle to land and grip the ball on Monday with a badly-blistered finger, enjoying in his long-form match since September 2021.
Earlier, Nathan Lyon confirmed how harmful spinners will be on the dry Edgbaston wicket when he took 4-80 to go together with his first-innings 4-149.
Pat Cummins additionally bagged 4-63, serving to Australia’s bowlers maintain regular after an early barrage from England’s batters that included Root reverse-scooping Boland for a six and 4.
With England clearly eager to set a goal with a day-four declaration, Lyon had different concepts.
Lyon out-played Root on 46 when he noticed England’s important man cost down the wicket, prompting him to tug the ball down, cramp the right-hander for room and have him stumped.
Lyon eliminated Harry Brook, additionally for 46 briefly earlier than lunch, earlier than exposing England’s tail when he had a reverse-sweeping Jonny Bairstow lbw on 20.
Cummins additionally claimed the wicket of Ben Stokes lbw for 43, after producing an early contender for ball of the sequence with an in-swinging yorker to bowl Ollie Pope.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
