ADVANTAGE AUSTRALIA
Australia wrestled with a seaming pink ball under the lights to build a 268-run lead with six wickets in hand over England in an engrossing second Ashes Test in Adelaide on Monday.
In testing batting conditions the Australians struggled against the moving ball in the final twilight session as England roared back after trailing by 215 runs in the first innings.
Australia will still be strong favourites to win the match going into day four but they could have been even more firmly in charge had captain Steve Smith enforced the follow-on after dismissing England for 227.
Smith instead sent his openers out in the late afternoon sun and four wickets, including that of Smith, fell before the end of the night as England’s seamers got the pink ball nipping around under the lights.
“It’s purely up to Smithy (whether to follow on),” said paceman Mitchell Starc, who earlier took 3-49 to help bowl out the tourists.
“That’s why he’s the captain. There are pros and cons to both decisions. We were looking to build on our lead and freshen up for the second innings and hopefully bowl them over.
“There are two full night sessions to go if England really want to win this game,” he added.
“There’s no reason why we can’t build a really big lead and then have England on the ropes in the night session.”
At the close, Australia were 53 for four with Peter Handscomb on three and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon not out three.
The Australians lost the wickets of Cameron Bancroft (4) and Usman Khawaja (20) to James Anderson and a restrained David Warner (14) to Chris Woakes in the final session.
Skipper Steve Smith survived a desperately close leg before wicket review before he had scored off Anderson but was not so lucky when he missed out in another tight lbw review to Woakes for six.
Holders England were fighting to stay in the Test as Australia chased a potentially decisive 2-0 lead in the five-Test series after winning last week’s Brisbane opener by 10 wickets.
Lyon and Mitchell Starc brought off spectacular catches as Australia had England under pressure in the first two sessions Monday.
Off-spinner Lyon pulled off a blinding one-handed catch to dismiss Moeen Ali off his own bowling in the second over after the first break.
Moeen chipped to the left of Lyon, who flung himself across the pitch in a split second reaction to take the catch.
Lyon, nicknamed GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), again produced a sublime example of cricketing skill following his laser throw to run out James Vince in the first Brisbane Test. Moeen had scored 25 off 57 balls in a 30run stand with Jonny Bairstow.
Five overs later Bairstow was on his way for 21 after Starc juggled the return catch and finally accepted it behind his back.
Stuart Broad and Anderson were dismissed shortly after the dinner break both off Lyon to end the England innings.
Lyon finished with four for 60 and took over from South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada (54) as the leading wicket-taker in the world this year with 55, while paceman Mitchell Starc claimed three for 49.
Woakes and Craig Overton dug in to put on 66 for the eighth wicket before Woakes fell to a short-pitched Starc delivery spooning a catch back to the bowler for 36. Overton remained unbeaten on 41.
Australia grabbed four wickets in the first session, including key batsmen Joe Root and Alastair Cook. —