Ashes: Five things we learned from day two at the Gabba as Australia fight back
Australia captain Steve Smith helped drag his side back into contention at the Gabba after England threatened to take control of the first Ashes Test on Friday.
Smith, along with Shaun Marsh, rode to the rescue by steering the hosts to 165-4 in Brisbane after England had been bowled out for 302 before lunch.
Here’s five things we learned from the second day of the Ashes.
Bowlers go back to the future
Bowling ‘dry’ was the tactic which served England well during their successful 2010-11 tour of Australia, when they won in Australia for the first time in 24 years. It was back with a vengeance at the Gabba today as James Anderson, Stuart Broad and company put the squeeze on the hosts, whose run rate by the end of the day was just 2.66.
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Military precision does for David Warner
England had a plan for the Australia opener after dismissing him several times during the 2015 home Ashes by tempting him into innocuous leg-side shots. It worked again here as Jake Ball pitched the ball short of a length and saw Warner, on 26, play an unconvincing pull straight to Dawid Malan – who had been placed at short mid-wicket just for that reason.
Stuart Broad still public enemy No1 in Brisbane
Queenslanders are an unforgiving bunch. Still ‘ropeable’ as they say in this part of the world about the England bowler’s refusal to walk in the opening Ashes Test of 2013 at Trent Bridge, they greeted his arrival at the crease on the second morning with a crescendo of boos. It was the loudest the Gabba has been all match.
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England’s ‘nobodies’ rise to the occasion
Derided by Australians as “no-name” players, James Vince, Mark Stoneman and, on this second day, Malan all scored half-centuries in their maiden Ashes innings. As Vince said after day one: “They know who we are now.” Malan looked composed as he notched up his third Test fifty in the morning session but gave his wicket away hooking Mitchell Starc when well set on 56.
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Nathan Lyon outshone Australia’s ‘pace cartel’
The off-spinner talked big before the series, saying his side’s three quicks would “end careers” in this series. But Lyon, finding turn and bounce from early on, constantly beat the bat and took two wickets. Indeed he looked Australia’s most dangerous bowler.