Ashes 2021: Batsmen again made England’s debauchery, piled up on 185, Australian team dominates

Strong start for Australia. (Pic Credit CA Twitter)

England, who had lost badly in the first two Tests of the Ashes series, were expected to convert their luck in the Boxing-Day Test match and show good competition against hosts Australia. However, this was not seen on the first day of the match and the England batsmen once again failed miserably. Captain Joe Root again showed his brilliant batting this time but he could not convert it into a big innings nor did he get support from the other end. Australia bundled out England for 185 in the first innings on the first day of the third Ashes Test on Sunday with the help of three wickets each from captain Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon. Australia in reply have scored 61 for one wicket till the end of the first day’s play and are 124 runs behind England.

David Warner (38) returned to the pavilion at the end of the day after a credible start. Jock Crawley took a catch from James Anderson (1 for 14) while he was down in the street. The other opener, Marcus Harris, was on 20 when the stumps were dislodged, while Nightwatchman Lion was yet to open the account.

England’s top order fails

Earlier, Cummins (3 for 36) won the toss and decided to field first, while spinner Lion (3 for 36) wrapped up the lower order. Mitchell Starc took two wickets for 54 runs, while Cameron Green and Scott Boland, playing his first Test match, got one wicket each. England did not have a good start and by lunch they had scored 61 runs for three wickets. After this, England also lost three wickets in the second session, including the wickets of captain Joe Root (50) and the dangerous Ben Stokes (25). Australia retained their dominance in the third session by taking their remaining four wickets.

delay due to rain

The game started half an hour late due to rain. Cummins got Haseeb Hameed (zero) caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the second over. After this, Cummins got the second opener Crowley (12) caught in the gully in the eighth over and made the score 13 for two. David Malan (14) added 48 runs for the third wicket with captain Joe Root. Cummins got Malan caught by Warner at first slip in the last over before lunch.

World No. 2 batsman Root completed his half-century off 76 balls, but soon after Starc was caught by Carey on a ball outside the off-stump, which took the score to 82 for four. If Root makes 109 runs in England’s second innings, then he will become the highest run-scorer in a calendar year. Currently this record is in the name of Mohammad Yusuf of Pakistan who scored 1788 runs in 2006. Root’s total number of runs in the year 2021 increased to 1680 and he has become the captain with the most runs in a calendar year. Root surpassed the record held by Graeme Smith of South Africa (1656 runs in 2008).

Stokes, Butler did not play one

Stokes tried to adopt an aggressive attitude but after cutting Green’s ball, he caught it in the street. Jos Buttler (3), in the last over before the tea break, played an irresponsible shot off Lion, caught at deep midwicket. Boland, who made his Test debut at his home ground, took his first wicket by dismissing Mark Wood (six) lbw. Jonny Bairstow, after scoring 35 runs, was caught in the street by Starc. Lion dismissed tail batsmen Jack Leach (13) and Olly Robinson (22). Australia is currently leading 2-0 in the five-match series.

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