Again, at the end of day 2, Australia had the upper hand in this test match and marched forward to claim a series win and series lead, 3-0, and to mark sheer dominance over England’s bazball. The Australian tail makes a significant impact, while England’s top order and middle order can’t stand Nathan Lyon’s spin and Pat Cummins’ impactful bowling.
| Score at the end of day 2 | Australia 371 England 231/8 |
| England’s top performer | Jofra Archer completed his 5-wicket haul by taking two wickets today and 30* with the bat at the end of the day |
| Australia’s top performer | Pat Cummins 14 overs, three maidens, 54 runs,s three wickets14-03-54-03 |
| Fielder of the day | Alex Carrey diving front to dismiss Will Jacks |
Australia Turns The Screws As England Struggles In The Heat
Australia started the day at 326 for 8, with Mitchell Starc on 33 and Nathan Lyon yet to get off the mark. Starc went after the bowling right away, smashing five boundaries in no time and racing to his second straight fifty in the series. The first time he’s managed back-to-back fifties in Test cricket. He made 54 from 73 balls before Jofra Archer finally got him, bowling him out to claim his well-earned five-wicket haul (5 for 53 in 20.2 overs). After that, Lyon and Scott Boland squeezed out 23 more runs for the last wicket, but Archer finished things off by trapping Lyon lbw for 9. Australia ended up with 371.
England’s openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, got off to a solid start, putting on 37 without much trouble. But Pat Cummins, back in the side after an injury layoff, broke through with a beauty that nipped off the seam and sent Crawley back for 9. Then Nathan Lyon took over. In his very first over, he got Ollie Pope to chip a simple catch to midwicket for 3, and then bowled Duckett for 29 with a textbook off-spinner’s delivery. England went to lunch at 59 for 3, still trailing by 312.
Ashes 3rd Test Day 2 Session 2
Cummins and Green Turn Up the Pressure
Joe Root and Harry Brook tried to steady England under brutal 40-degree heat, but Pat Cummins wasn’t having it. Not long after lunch, he got Root to nick one behind for 19. That was Root’s 12th time falling to Cummins in Tests. Brook and Ben Stokes dug in, putting together a careful stand of 56 runs for the fifth wicket. Just as things started to look a bit better for England, Cummins tossed the ball to Cameron Green for his first over.
Green wasted no time. On his second delivery, clocking 138kph, he jagged one off the seam, and Brook edged behind for 45. Green nearly struck again on the very next ball, but Jamie Smith survived. England limped to tea at 132 for 5, still 239 runs behind.
Ashes 3rd Test Day 2 Session 3
Boland’s Double Strike, England Face Follow-On Threat
After tea, Scott Boland tore through the lower order. He got rid of Jamie Smith (22), Will Jacks (6), and Brydon Carse (0) in quick succession, leaving England struggling at 168 for 8. Alex Carey kept up his sharp work behind the stumps, pulling off a diving catch to send Jacks back, while Jamie Smith was given out with a controversial decision
Ben Stokes, running on fumes after sending down 19 overs earlier, refused to give in. He crawled to 45 not out from 151 balls. Jofra Archer chipped in with a lively 30* from 48, and together they managed to drag England past 200 and out of follow-on danger. England finished Day 2 at 213 for 8, still 158 runs behind with just two wickets left.
Key Stats
Nathan Lyon passed Glenn McGrath to become Australia’s second-highest wicket-taker, now with 564 Test wickets. Cummins (3-54), Lyon (2-51), and Boland (2-31) were relentless, even on a pitch that’s supposed to favor the batters—Australia’s in complete control. With only two wickets to get, they’re just about ready to bat again and edge closer to locking up the Ashes with a 3-0 series lead.
