England fight back to put pressure back on Australia
England have bowled their way back into the fifth Ashes Test after claiming five wickets in the middle session of day two to heap the pressure back on Australia at The Oval.
After setting up a solid base on Friday morning and being 1-91 not long before lunch, Australia went to tea on day two at 7-186 in reply to England’s first-innings 283.
England’s Stuart Broad celebrates the dismissal of Australia’s Usman Khawaja. AP
Steve Smith has played a lone hand to go to the break unbeaten on 40, on a day that has typified this series.
As has been the case in every Test except for the washed-out draw in Manchester last week, the moment one side has got ahead the other struck back.
That was most evident after a docile first hour on Friday morning, where Australia scored at a snail’s pace and attempted to grind England’s bowlers into the ground.
Marnus Labuschagne chewed up 82 balls for his nine, but fell victim to a superb one-handed diving catch by Joe Root at first slip off Mark Wood (2-37).
Usman Khawaja followed just after lunch, lbw to Stuart Broad after using up 157 balls for his 47.
Khawaja’s innings took him to the top of the run-scoring charts for the series with 424 runs at an average of 47.11, but his lapse of concentration after lunch hurt Australia.
Australia batsman Travis Head is caught at gully off the bowling of Mark Wood. Getty
Travis Head was out shortly after when he edged Broad for four, before Mitch Marsh chopped on to a ball outside off stump from James Anderson on 16.
And after being overly cautious in the first half of the day, Australia will be most frustrated by the wickets of Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc.
A ball after slog-sweeping Joe Root for six, Carey’s eyes lit up when he saw a tossed-up delivery
Read more on afr.com
