For how long exactly is a mystery – much like England’s general approach – and might depend on whether Stokes (4) and Jacks (4) are about to lay down a history-making partnership to delay what feels like an unavoidable 2-0 deficit in this Ashes series.
I say “feels like” based on the evidence at hand, and yes I am referring to yesterday’s evening session. Day three started okay at the Gabba, with the tourists taking early wickets (Neser and Carey) with the view of getting their second innings going sooner rather than later.
Starc, of course, had other ideas, and opted to become the unlikely top-scorer with 77 throughout a 75-run partnership with Boland (Stokes, Jacks: take note). Australia ended up with 511, a total we can only assume shocked England so much they simply did not know how to play cricket after that.
England went in to bat in the evening session and started well with 0-45 … before Duckett, Pope, Crawley, Root, Brook and Smith all fell within about 25 overs. They lost 5-89 and are, for all intents and purposes, brown bread.
We’ll get to how good Australia were but let’s just let that sit for the moment.
England will resume at 6-134 and trail by 43 runs.
