Prior: Jos drops were down to lazy wicketkeeping

MATT PRIOR blamed lazy keeping and poor footwork from Jos Buttler for the two drops that cost England dear on a first day of the second Test dominated by Australia. Buttler got England off to the perfect start in Adelaide when he took a brilliant diving catch down the leg side to dismiss Marcus Harris off Stuart Broad. However, the England keeper-batsman ended the day badly in debit after twice dropping Marnus Labuschagne, the second an absolute dolly off Jimmy Anderson, on his way to an unbeaten 95 in Australia’s 221 for two. And Prior, speaking on BT Sport, said: ‘There was a great catch down the leg side to start and Jos did that by taking an initial step and then stepping again to give himself a really good foundation. The amount of ground he covered was exceptional. ‘But with the first drop he got stuck. He threw his hands at the ball because he had only covered half the ground of the first catch. Then for the second one he got stuck again. ‘Everyone thinks it’s the hands that get you the catch,’ added one of England’s best keeper-batsmen. ‘It’s not, it’s your footwork. And your hands follow. There were a couple of takes where Jos had a dive, that’s lazy wicketkeeping. ‘As a keeper you want to dive as little as possible. You get that one big chance and that’s what you’re judged on.’

David Warner, who led the Australian charge with 95, revealed he was still suffering after being hit in the ribs by Mark Wood at the Gabba. ‘I was pretty close to not playing but unless I have no leg I’m not going to not walk out,’ said Warner. ‘I was in agony but I’ve been doing what I can to get ready. It doesn’t feel great but I had a Test to play and there’s a series on the line.’ England went with a five-man right-arm seam attack, but assistant coach Graham Thorpe insisted they got their selection right. ‘On another day we could have grazed the edge more and it could have been different,’ said Thorpe. ‘Our bowlers may all be right-arm but they are all slightly different in style.’ Meanwhile, David Gower will commentate on the final three Tests for BT Sport, replacing Michael Vaughan, who was dropped because of his alleged use of racially offensive language in the Azeem Rafiq row — which he denies.