England pile on the runs as Root and Bairstow put on a show
England pile on the runs as Root and Bairstow put on a show
England continued their dominance on day two of the third Test against Australia, extending their lead to 253 runs by stumps. Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow put on a batting masterclass, scoring 61 and 71 respectively, as England scored at a rapid pace.
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow put on a batting masterclass
Root was particularly impressive, reaching his fifty in just 76 balls. He looked in complete control of his innings, playing some delightful shots all around the ground. Bairstow was also in good form, hitting 10 fours in his innings.
Australia bowl better in the post-lunch session but are unable to stop the flow of runs
Australia bowled better in the post-lunch session, taking three wickets, but they were unable to stop the flow of runs. England scored at an average of 4.5 runs per over in the session, and they will be looking to build on their lead on day three.
England will be looking to continue scoring at a brisk pace on day three
The key for England will be to continue scoring at a brisk pace. They have a good opportunity to put Australia under pressure and force them to bat again on a deteriorating pitch.
The wicketkeeper-batter looked in the mood from the get-go and batted with a calculative intent thus far, putting away any loose delivery on offer. At the other end, Root continued on his merry ways to get past yet another Test fifty.
Australia bowled better in the post-lunch session and the three wickets do show that but they still haven’t been able to put a lid on the scoring rate. If anything, England scored faster after lunch than they did in the morning session. The home side will be eyeing to get the lead into the 350-400 range by the close of play, if not more as they look to completely drive home the advantage.
Australia will need to bowl better if they want to prevent England from taking a big lead
Australia will need to bowl better if they want to prevent England from taking a big lead in the third Test. England have already extended their lead to 253 runs, and they will be looking to continue scoring at a brisk pace on day three.
Australia will need to find a way to get the ball to move off the seam and create some opportunities for their bowlers. They will also need to be more disciplined with their line and length, as England have been able to score freely when they have been given width or length to hit.
Brief scores:
England 283 (Harry Brook 85, Ben Duckett 41; Mitchell Starc 4-82)& 265/4 (Zak Crawley 71, Joe Root 61, Ben Duckett 42; Josh Hazlewood 1-53) lead Australia 295 (Steve Smith 73, Usman Khawaja 47; Chris Woakes 3/61, Stuart Broad 2/49) by 253 runs.
Key Takeaways
- England have extended their lead to 253 runs.
- Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow put on a batting masterclass.
- Australia bowled better in the post-lunch session but were unable to stop the flow of runs.
- England will be looking to continue scoring at a brisk pace on day three.
- Australia will need to bowl better if they want to prevent England from taking a big lead.
