Josh Hazlewood, who has been unavailable for Australia so far in the Ashes series due to a hamstring problem, has had a further injury setback (Simon Wilde writes). Hazlewood sustained the original injury during a state match for New South Wales last month, but it has now emerged that he has developed a fresh issue after recently returning to bowling in the nets.
“Josh Hazlewood reported Achilles soreness this week during his rehabilitation from a recent hamstring injury,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said. “It is a low-grade issue, and he is expected to recommence running and bowling next week.” The third Test begins in Adelaide on December 17 but it now appears that Hazlewood will not feature until at least the fourth or fifth Test in Melbourne and Sydney, or possibly not at all.
Ben Stokes enjoyed that one, but there’s still work to do.
DARRIAN TRAYNOR/GETTY IMAGES
Ouch. A sore one for Steve Smith as a Carse short one wallops into his elbow. The physios are out inspecting it and he doesn’t look too comfortable. He had a similar thing in Perth, and you can’t help but wince when you see a ball crack into the funny bone.
A tickle down to fine leg from Cameron Green brings up the 200 for Australia, 134 runs behind.
Ben Stokes has the breakthrough! Marnus Labuschagne feathers behind to Jamie Smith from a really poor stroke. The umpire takes a second, but up goes the finger and the No3 departs for 65.
Cameron Green comes out to the middle with the light fading.
Why is Steve Smith wearing black stickers under his eyes?
In his never-ending search for marginal gains, Australia’s stand-in captain took to the nets in Brisbane this week looking like an NFL player under his lid.
He’s taken on the same look today — the black stickers he’s got plastered on his cheeks are designed to reduce glare from floodlights, helping him to see the ball more clearly. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the former West Indies captain whose name Sean Paul quotes at the start of every song (seriously, look it up) also wore them frequently.
Read the full story from earlier this week by Elizabeth Ammon here.
It is drinks at the midway point of the second session and England have improved in the past hour (Simon Wilde writes). They restricted Australia to 45 for one in 13 overs during this period, a vast improvement on earlier. Archer bowled unchanged for seven overs, took the wicket of Weatherald and generally looked a threat, rapping Smith on the hand and touching 146kph.
Atkinson also gave little away but Carse’s first over of a new spell went for nine. Everyone is going to have to step up if England are to stay competitive. Labuschagne has just reached fifty as play restarts.
Fifty up for Marnus Labuschagne
There’s the half century for Australia’s No3. His 25th Test fifty come off 67 balls with nine fours and one six.
Thanks to the laws of the universe, it’s starting to get dark in Brisbane. The pink ball should start to do a bit more under the floodlights, and becomes harder for the batsmen to pick up. A breakthrough before then would be very welcome for England.
JASON O’BRIEN/SHUTTERSTOCK
As can sometimes happen, some Test cricket has begun to happen at the Gabba. The run rate is down and Smith and Labuschagne are being a bit more sensible, fewer flashes and smart leaves.
A wicket here would be a big fillip for England — they’d love to crack into the middle order when they reach the twilight zone.
Jofra Archer the pick of the quicks
England bowled very poorly before the break, although Archer was the most dangerous of the bunch (Mike Atherton writes). Unsurprisingly, he was given first dibs afterwards by Stokes, albeit from the opposite end from where he started in the morning.
A fine yorker accounted for Weatherald who, working to leg, did not wait to review and walked, or rather hobbled off. He played excellently for his 72 (78 balls) cutting and upper-cutting powerfully for his maiden half-century. Australia will want to capitalise now, before the lights come into effect in an hour’s time. Labuschagne and Smith at the crease. Game on.
A searing Archer yorker smashes into Weatherald’s boot. It looked pretty plumb and he decides not to review. Archer didn’t even appeal, he just trotted through, arm aloft knowing he’d made the breakthrough.
He plods off for 72, and is replaced by every Englishman’s favourite Australian, Steve Smith. He’s greeted by an Archer bouncer.
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There are a few flashes coming out from the Australia opener here, similar shots to those played by the England batsmen in the first innings, which got them out.
The Queen has joined her husband at the Gabba and is getting to know the Barmy Army.
ROBERT CIANFLONE/GETTY IMAGES
ROBERT CIANFLONE/GETTY IMAGES
The players are back out on the field, Weatherald takes strike and Jofra Archer is back on. England need to stem the flow here if they are to arrive into the twilight zone in good shape, when the ball will start to misbehave.
While we’re waiting for the tea break to finish… a bit of what’s happening elsewhere (Elizabeth Ammon writes).
Over at Allan Border Fields, England Lions are having done to them what first XI are. The Lions were bowled out for 166 — Jhye Richardson the pick of the Australia A bowlers with four for 35 off 12. And in reply Australia A have raced to 102 for one off 12 overs.
Over the Tasman, West Indies are putting up a fight with a 140-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Shai Hope, who is unbeaten on 116 and and Justin Greaves 55*. They still need a whopping 319 runs to win, but they’re not going down without a bit of a fight and making New Zealand work hard on the fourth day of that Test.
Harry Brook is in danger of wasting his talent
The England vice-captain threw away his wicket at a critical juncture yesterday. His excessive risk-taking could leave his potential unfulfilled and brings into question leadership credentials.
Read Simon Wilde’s analysis here.
Australia are enjoying these conditions. The pitch looks good for batting and the weather conditions are fine (Simon Wilde writes). It’s a while yet before the arrival of twilight and any accompanying ball movement as the floodlights take effect.
England’s big mistake of course is that they are not batting themselves in this period, which is the key to winning pink-ball matches: make sure you are batting during the first half of days one and two, and bowling in the second half of day two when the ball is likely to do most.
This makes the dismissals of Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes on the first day all the more heinous. You have to bat long in the first innings of the game and England managed to last only 77 overs. That is simply not enough: Australia almost always bat more than 125 overs in these games batting first.
England are being Bazballed by this Australian pair who are going along at about six an over and although England have beaten the bat on a few occasions, they’ve slightly squandered the new ball and got their lengths wrong quite a bit (Elizabeth Ammon writes).
There’s a length to Weatherald that’s a little bit fuller that leaves him unable to get either forward or back and means he gets a bit stuck, but he’s managing to get a lot of runs behind square on the off-side — 32 of them so far.
What this is also showing though is just how impressive Mitchell Starc’s efforts yesterday were. The pitch is really pretty flat but exactly the right length to get some movement. Wouldn’t it be nice if England could find a left-arm seamer for their attack — just gives a real point of difference.
That’s the tea break in Brisbane. A tough morning for England.
Ben Stokes has the ball in hand for the last over before the break, and England could really do with a wicket now.
Will Jacks comes in to the attack
Ben Stokes has rung the changes, with the off spinner Jacks coming in. His first ball goes for four byes. Not a great start, and England probably need to get off the field here.
Fifty for Jake Weatherald
A single off Carse brings up the half-century for Jake Weatherald, his first in Test cricket. It’s come off 45 balls with nine fours and one six.
Jake Weatherald lifts one over the slip cordon to bring up three figures for Australia. It’s come off just 18 overs, and they need to find a change of plan here.
England have the breakthrough — now they must make the most
To England’s enormous relief, Travis Head has finally gone after misjudging a shot into the leg side — maybe the scrambled seam did for him, or he was simply through his shot early. Either way, the ball flew high to Gus Atkinson, pedalling back at mid-on, who coolly took the catch above his head.
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It was going to take a wicket to stop the carnage because Head, having been badly let off by Jamie Smith on three, and Jake Weatherald were delighting in going hard against the hard ball and England were plainly rattled. Jofra Archer apart, the bowlers were missing their lengths and offering too much width and ten fours and two sixes in 13 overs told a grisly story. England must now take the wicket as a cue to pull themselves together.
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Someone’s had a couple too many schooners and has taken to the field as Marnus Labuschagne comes out to bat.
And thanks to Joe Root, it isn’t Matthew Hayden.
There’s the breakthrough! Travis Head spoons one way up in the air over the leg side and it’s gobbled up by Atkinson underneath it off the bowling of Carse.
He looked like he was starting to go through the gears, but the dangerous Head is gone for 33.
Head miscued one from Carse
DARRIAN TRAYNOR/GETTY IMAGES
The opener was furious with himself after his dismissal
JASON O’BRIEN/SHUTTERSTOCK
Head and Weatherald are really enjoying themselves now, 13 boundaries in the innings already going at nearly six an over.
Who needs Bazball?
Crowd enjoying themselves
As the boundaries begin to flow, the Aussies in the crowd are making their voices heard. Jamie Smith is their main target this morning after that Head drop. Even simple catches from the field are being greeted with ironic cheers. He’ll be hoping that doesn’t follow him…
Jamie Smith will be kicking himself
A bad moment for Jamie Smith who has just put down Travis Head on three, a straightforward enough chance (Mike Atherton writes). Archer was around the wicket and as the ball angled in to Head, Smith began to move towards his right, slightly wrong-footing him as the outside edge arrived.
Head has looked uncomfortable against Archer, hopping around and being hit in the ribs and on the gloves. This was a bad miss, the more so given how dangerous Head can be, as we saw in Perth. Weatherald has looked the more comfortable of the two thus far, dominating the scoring and having hit six boundaries, five of them sweet ones.
Here comes the captain…
Ben Stokes comes in to the attack to replace Archer as Australia reach 50 for no loss. A few smart boundaries there from Head, who is starting to get going.
A poor start, low full toss goes for three.
Brydon Carse first change
The South African-born Durham bowler replaces Gus Atkinson.
We arrive at the first drinks break in the day with Australia 36 without loss off nine overs, 298 behind England.
Time for coffee, and this morning’s Advent calendar selection…
A brilliant piece of bowling from Jofra Archer draws an edge from Travis Head but he’s put down by Jamie Smith, who can’t hang on to it high to his left. That’s a let off.
Archer is despondent…
Jake Weatherald playing some shots
Gus Atkinson has overpitched a few here, and the Australia opener is happy to take advantage, sending three to the boundary in the over.
Where does Root’s ton rank?
He has finally reached three figures down under but — believe it or not — he’s played some innings that were even greater, argues Steve James.
Read the full piece here.
Jake Weatherald gets away with one
The Australia opener spoons a slightly shorter one from Atkinson that sails high over the cordon’s head. Jamie Smith and Joe Root chase after it but can’t quite get there — one bounce and it goes for four.
Chris Woakes back in action
Away from the Ashes, Chris Woakes played yesterday for the first time since that awful shoulder dislocation at the Oval in the final Test match of the English summer (Elizabeth Ammon writes). We all remember the iconic pictures of him coming out to bat one handed to try and save the Test.
He is playing for MI Emirates in the ILT20 tournament in Dubai and took two for 49 on his comeback. The 36-year-old retired from international cricket during the summer but will still play for Warwickshire and in franchise tournaments.
What can England find in this pitch?
England are all out for 334 ten minutes into day two and we must now see what their bowlers can make of a new ball on this pitch (Simon Wilde writes). Joe Root ended unbeaten on 138 and became only the third England top-four batsman to carry out his bat in a completed first innings in Australia in the past 74 years — the others being Jonathan Trott, batting No3 at Melbourne in 2010, and opener Alastair Cook, also at Melbourne, in 2017.
The tenth-wicket stand between Root and Jofra Archer reached 70, England’s best for the last wicket in Australia since Reg Simpson and Roy Tattersall put on 74 at the MCG in 1951. It was only six short of matching the 76 Ben Stokes and Jack Leach posted to seal a famous Ashes victory at Headingley in 2019.
Archer, well-caught in the deep by Marnus Labuschagne in the third over of the day, should be nicely loosened and confident ahead of his first spell after a Test-best 38.
Regulations save Australia
Because Australia bowled England out in fewer than 80 overs, they won’t be penalised for their terribly slow over rate (Elizabeth Ammon writes). The World Test Championship regulations state that if a team is bowled out in 80 overs or less “no account shall be taken of the over rate in that innings”.
So they won’t be getting a points deduction despite only bowling 74 overs on day one.
Gus Atkinson to open the bowling
The Surrey man comes on from the other end after Archer’s maiden. He went wicketless in the first Test.
JASON O’BRIEN/SHUTTERSTOCK
Remind yourself of day one’s biggest moments.
Jake Weatherald and Travis Head take to the middle. The latter’s on strike and Jofra Archer has the ball in the hand.
WICKET! England 334 all out
That’s that! Doggett has the final wicket, removing Archer for 38. The credit must go to Marnus Labuschagne, who’s pulled off a magnificent catch low to his right at deep backward square. It was hit hard by Archer and it’s a brilliant effort.
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Joe Root leaves the field 138 not out, raising his bat to the crowd.
That final-wicket partnership for 70 runs in 9.4 overs looks awfully handy.
Root and Archer have seen off the first over of the day from Doggett, taking a smart four off it. Mitchell Starc, who has a six-for, has the ball from the other end with Archer on strike.
The second ball brings an absolute stunner of a shot from Archer, beautifully guided through the off side for four.
Brendan Doggett has the ball in hand and Joe Root is on strike.
Joe Root shows Australia what fuss is all about with first century down under
After long wait, England batsman records most significant ton yet as his side overcome loss of two early wickets.
Read Mike Atherton’s day one report here.
Good morning from the Gabba! Cloudless skies today and feels a little hotter than yesterday (Mike Atherton writes). England’s score is a very competitive one and they will be hoping to add a few more this morning before getting stuck in to the Aussies. Everyday feels like a big day in the Ashes but this one especially so, if England can be there or thereabouts on first innings, given the absence of Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon.
Still hard to understand Australia’s decision to leave Lyon out. He did an interview mid-play yesterday where he described himself as “absolutely filthy” about the decision- a very Aussie term, which is a bit stronger than “gutted.” Anyway, he didn’t leave much to the imagination and Australia’s selectors will come under scrutiny if this game does not go well.
Matt and Helen Root, Joe’s parents, have been doing the rounds on Australian TV before play. What a day for them yesterday; they must be as proud as punch.
Over at Allan Border Field, a four-day game between Australia A and the Lions has kicked off this morning, and, as I write, McKinney, Haines and Bethell are all out relatively cheaply. This was Bethell’s opportunity, really, to stake a claim. He could do with stringing together some performances to show why the selectors have shown such an extraordinary degree of faith in him.
Hello and welcome back to the Times’ live coverage of day two of the second Ashes Test from the Gabba in Brisbane.
Yesterday was another eventful one, with Joe Root making his maiden Test hundred in Australia the story of the day. He returns to the crease on 135, and is joined by Jofra Archer who’s unbeaten on 32, as England resume on 325 for nine.
How long will they last in bright Queensland sunshine before the Australians begin their next examination by the England bowling attack?
Stay tuned throughout the day for updates and analysis from our team in Brisbane, so grab a cup of tea and settle in for what should be another great day of Test cricket.