Adelaide: Australia have roared back in the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval as England lost four wickets for just 19 runs in the second session on day three. After enduring a disappointing first session, where the hosts couldn’t get a wicket, Australia dried the runs and were rewarded with crucial scalps, leaving England at 197/6 in 71 overs, still trailing by 276 runs.
Resuming from 140/2 at the dinner break, Australia began the second session well as Cameron Green and Nathan Lyon delivered six straight maidens. Green, who troubled Joe Root with two cracking deliveries, broke the 138-run stand off 237 balls as the England captain poked outside the off-stump, only for the ball to take a healthy edge to first slip.
Root’s dismissal dashed hopes of him getting his first Test century in Australia and triggered an English wobble.
Malan tried to cut Mitchell Starc for the second time in successive balls but the edge flew straight to Steve Smith at first slip.
Ollie Pope survived an lbw call on DRS against off-spinner Nathan Lyon but two balls later, he advanced and flicked straight to Marnus Labuschagne at short leg off Lyon.
Starc got his second wicket of the day as he forced Jos Buttler to go for an expansive drive, only for the edge to fly straight to David Warner at first slip.
Chris Woakes started to play a little gem of a counter-attack, getting five boundaries off Jhye Richardson, with a square drive on front foot and a fierce pull through mid-wicket being the standouts.
At the other end, Ben Stokes is holding fort with 12 off 71 balls as England now need 77 more runs to avoid follow-on.
Earlier, in the first session, Malan and Root looked comfortable and didn’t allow Australia’s bowlers to get settled. Malan, more aggressive of the two, started off with an inside edge off Jhye Richardson that went past his stumps for four.
He was brutal on Starc, cutting his first two balls of the day for fours over point and slip cordon. Nathan Lyon got some turn and troubled the duo but was unable to dislodge either of Root or Malan.
Malan brought up his ninth Test half-century with a pull to backward square leg for a single against Michael Neser. Root and Malan then brought up their second 100-run partnership for the third wicket in the Ashes.
It was the 11th century stand for England in Test cricket this year, nine of which have involved Root. The England captain then reached his 52nd Test half-century with a glanced four through fine leg.
But Australia bounced back in the second session to gain an upper hand in the match, yet again.
Brief scores: Australia 473/9 dec in 150.4 overs (Marnus Labuschagne 103; Ben Stokes 3/113) vs England 197/6 in 71 overs (Dawid Malan 80, Joe Root 62; Mitchell Starc 3/36, Cameron Green 1/17).