4th Test: England reach 13/0 at Stumps & trail by 403 runs on Day 2 after Australia declare on 416/8

[MenInG]

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[sweep_shot]

If rain stays away, Aussies should reach 380-400 (assuming they will not declare earlier).

[Manunited18]

Root needs to be brave and set Agressive fields, Australia are masters of putting pressure on conservative teams.

[Robert]

Word is the the pitch will crack up on the last day.

[Gilly]

Word is the the pitch will crack up on the last day.

Will the match go that long?.

[imshally81]

What a costly drop....

[Bull]

LOL this green is one awful batsman. He can't even score runs in home conditions.

[Nikhil_cric]

Josh phillippe should be selected ahead of Alex Carey?

[Bull]

So happy to see Usman khawaja doing well.
He has always been good in Australian conditions.

[sam_ahm]

So happy to see Khawaja do well. Fantastic stuff.

[Last Monetarist]

England have not lost this series because of their bowling, they have generally bowled well across all the Tests. The problems in the field are more related to selection and poor wicketkeeping, which again goes back to selection.

At the end of the day though, heads have dropped quickly because the team has no confidence whatsoever in its ability to score runs, which is why all the criticism of Root's captaincy is a bit overboard.

[Bull]

Usman averages around 57 in Australia now.
He should always play in Australia.
He should have never been dropped for 2 years.

[Nikhil_cric]

England have not lost this series because of their bowling, they have generally bowled well across all the Tests. The problems in the field are more related to selection and poor wicketkeeping, which again goes back to selection.

At the end of the day though, heads have dropped quickly because the team has no confidence whatsoever in its ability to score runs, which is why all the criticism of Root's captaincy is a bit overboard.

They haven't bowled 'well'. This series has had very biwler-friendly conditions by Aussie standards. Even the SCG, which usually has the best batting conditions has had plenty of swing, seam and inconsistent bounce on day 2!

Their bowling has been average. Just that by going average, it's been much better than their batting which has well below average so far.

[Last Monetarist]

They haven't bowled 'well'. This series has had very biwler-friendly conditions by Aussie standards. Even the SCG, which usually has the best batting conditions has had plenty of swing, seam and inconsistent bounce on day 2!

Their bowling has been average. Just that by going average, it's been much better than their batting which has well below average so far.

The scores Australia put up at Brisbane and Melbourne were well within par, the batting was atrocious and lost those Tests. Adelaide was a different case as that attack wasn't suited at all to that pitch and consequently allowed Australia to score at will. This Test is a dead rubber so I won't read too much into it.

[Manunited18]

The wickets have been the most seamer friendly Ashes series I can remember! Every wicket has had enough for the bowlers. Bottom line is England have been moderate with the ball and awful with the batting and fielding.

[MenInG]

[Varun]

Starc loses out on a wicket because of a no ball.

[MenInG]

Starc loses out on a wicket because of a no ball.

unforgiveable such things

[James]

Enjoyable day’s cricket.

Brilliant stuff from both Khawaja and Broad. Usman’s century was a delight I thought. Solid as usual from him, but also confident and fluent.

Maybe for Stuart there is life in the old dog yet. A five wicket haul in Australia for an overseas bowler is always an achievement.

[Manunited18]

Enjoyable day’s cricket.

Brilliant stuff from both Khawaja and Broad. Usman’s century was a delight I thought. Solid as usual from him, but also confident and fluent.

Maybe for Stuart there is life in the old dog yet. A five wicket haul in Australia for an overseas bowler is always an achievement.

From an England perspective Broad was outstanding, still can't get me head around why he was left out at the Gabba which is tailor made for him.

[James]

From an England perspective Broad was outstanding, still can't get me head around why he was left out at the Gabba which is tailor made for him.

Agree — heads will roll at the end of the series hopefully, for this reason and numerous others — but perhaps Stuart’s will now not be one of them.

[James]

World Test Championship 06 Jan 22
Khawaja digs in despite Sydney rain to put Australia on top
AUS v ENG, 4th Test, day two, report
— — —

Returning to the SCG where he made his Test debut, Usman Khawaja made an emphatic century to help Australia on the second day of the fourth Test.

Australia negotiated tricky spells of rain and inconsistent bounce on the SCG wicket, passing 400 largely thanks to Khawaja's 137 from 260.

The hosts declared at 416/8, with England finishing the day unscathed at 13/0 when stumps were called.

With day one and the morning session of day two marred by inclement weather and a number of delays, Australia began the day strongly, as Khawaja combined with Steve Smith in a partnership of 115.

After surviving an lbw shout against Stuart Broad, Smith fell to his adversary for (67), with the English quick ever-effective with the second new ball.

Broad was the pick of the bowlers for the tourists, also taking the wicket of Cameron Green (5) who edged to Zak Crawley at third slip.

Mark Wood, who picked up the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne yesterday, complimented Broad effectively, even without reward. As he built pressure, Joe Root made a breakthrough coming on at the other end, taking the wicket of Alex Carey (13). On the sweep, the wicket-keeper top-edged his attempted sweep to mid-on, and into the hands of Jonny Bairstow.

Khawaja gave up a tricky chance earlier in the day on 28, though his outside edge off Jack Leach was dropped by the England skipper who couldn't adjust to a deflection off the thigh of keeper Jos Buttler.

Khawaja cashed in on the chance, breezing past fifty and moving through the eighties with ease and control. A pull-shot off Wood moved him into the nineties in his home town, and as Pat Cummins found a single in the last over before tea, Khawaja nudged into the leg-side to make his ninth Test hundred. Fittingly, Khawaja's other century at the SCG also came on January 6 in 2018.

Khawaja continued in spite of losing his batting partners, piecing together partnerships with Cummins (24) and Starc (34*), accelerating towards 400.

Khawaja would eventually fall for Stuart Broad's fifth wicket on 137, only for Nathan Lyon to provide late fireworks in a 16* (7) cameo.

Cummins made the declaration, giving his team five overs to make early inroads.

Haseeb Hameed and Zak Crawley moved their team through the tricky period, ending the day 13/0.

[Robert]

Bowled Draco. Should have played in every match.

[Saj]

Avoiding an innings defeat would be an achievement I guess for England.

[Robert]

Root to get 100 tomorrow :