In fading light and between two breaks forced by sodden English weather, Australia’s quicks rattled the tourists on the third day of the opening Ashes Test.
England is 2-28 from 10.3 overs and leading by only 35 runs after Pat Cummins and Scott Boland combined to remove the hosts’ openers, before rain prompted an early stumps.
The Australians were confident they’d bagged a third wicket, that of champion batter Joe Root, but a review revealed the former England skipper had not edged the ball through to Alex Carey.
AS IT HAPPENED: First Ashes Test, day three
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“I think those couple of wickets Australia took have got us right back in the game,” Mark Taylor told Wide World of Sports.
“Look, it’s still on a knife’s edge, this game — there’s no doubt about that … Really, the game is right in the balance, which is what you really hope for with the Test of an Ashes series.”
Ben Duckett lost his wicket for 19 when Cameron Green lunged low for a magnificent catch in the gully off the bowling of Cummins, a week after taking a terrific catch at gully in the World Test Championship final.
Boland then had Zak Crawley caught behind in the following over, dismissing the right-hander for seven.
“It’s probably the first time in the match that it’s been difficult to bat,” Taylor said.
“I think we’ve all been a little surprised by the dryness in this pitch and the lack of movement in the surface, but when that front came through today and it was dark out in the middle, a bit of humidity in the air, all of a sudden the ball started doing a little bit.
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“I think Pat Cummins did well. He sensed the opportunity, brought the field up … and you saw three slips and a gully and no one in the deep, apart from fine leg. All of a sudden Australia changed their tactics … and were rewarded with a couple of wickets. Almost had Joe Root, as well.
Boland strikes under dark clouds
“A good little session, a real bonus for Australia that they were able to utilise that little 20-minute period where … batting was very difficult.”
Earlier on day three, Australia looked almost certain to surpass England’s first-innings total of 8-393 declared.
But Usman Khawaja’s glorious knock ended on 141 when the reigning men’s Test player of the year was bowled by a fired up Ollie Robinson, before the English tore through the Australian tail to secure a seven-run lead.
Australia lost its final four wickets for only 14 runs, with Nathan Lyon going for one and Boland falling for a duck.
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