My picks of the second day:
Mitchell Johnson destroyed England taking six wickets for only 38 runs. Ryan Harris contributed with three wickets, taking out England skipper Andrew Strauss on 52, who will be hoping England can break Australia early and quickly on day three after they finished the day on 119-3, Shane Watson with his 14th Test fifty (61*) and Mike Hussey (24*) holding through with a standing parternship of 55.
Run of Play: Advantage to...
1st session, England 119-5, 149 behind at lunch: What a turnaround for Australia! England collapse losing 5 wickets for as little as 20 runs, Johnson starring and smacking in 4 of them. Australia with a comeback-and-a-half, England stunned.
2nd session, England 187 all out after 62.3 overs, 81 runs behind at tea: Australia complete the perfect turnaround, Johnson finishing England off taking two more wickets making it 6-38 in total for him, Harris improving after a bad start to the day taking three. England destroyed, the last 5 falling for only 42 runs and tea is taken early.
3rd session, Australia 119-3, 200 runs ahead, at the end of the second day of the third Test: Australia hold through after a little collapse, but England will be hoping they can break through them nice and quickly and in similar fashion to this late session, taking three wickets for 33 runs, Watson and Hussey withstanding to the end of the day.
Partnerships: England openers Strauss and Alastair Cook made a promising start to the day and looked to frustrate Australia with the best partnership of the Test so far of 78. They were all smashed and broken to pieces after that, 5 wickets falling for 20 runs and the last 5 falling for only 42 runs. Watson and Hussey held through till the end of the day for Australia after the hosts crumbled a little bit again losing their first three wickets in similar fashion to their first innings. Their partnership stands on 55, England will be hoping it won't go on for much longer on day three or break Strauss and Cook's record partnership (of the match so far that is).
Bowling: From boo to woo man, Johnson turned the match around for Australia and the series around for himself. Much criticised and lambasted after his failures in the first Tests, it looked doubtful whether he would survive and be called up for this Test. Well, well he did with figures of 38-6, making skipper Ricky Ponting smile again. Harris contributed his part too with three wickets and did well and made up for a bad start in the morning. England recovered a little bit by taking three wickets in the last session, although James Anderson still doesn't quite look up to scratch yet. The guests will be hoping they can make Australia tumble and crumble again early on before they reach a credible or unreachable score tomorrow.
Ups: Wickets galore! The crowd got more than their money's worth. All the twists and turns, I will not dare to predict where it will go next...
Downs: Well, I'm eating my words from yesterday, Australia are more than competing, the question now is if England can make a comeback. A true Test of champions it is...
Hero to zero: Yes, what Australia can do, England can do better - collapsing included! Wow! We're snatching the good records off the Aussies but don't want to give away our bad ones...
Australia v England third Test second day as it happened
1st session:
- Hot, sunny and crucial day at the Waga, the second of the third Test. England are on 29-0 after facing 12 overs on day one, 238 behind. Ricky Ponting will want wickets quickly, openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook will have other ideas.
- Ryan Harris starts the day against Cook with a maiden.
- Ben Hilfenhaus takes on skipper Strauss at the other end, a couple of runs here and there, four from the over, England 33-0.
- An inside edge by Strauss is dropped or more like ignored by both the Aussies keeper and Watson at first slip. What a contrast to all the spectacluar catches by England yesterday and the Australia side of the old days... A couple of runs from the over and relief for the guests, England 40-0 after 3 overs this morning.
- Remind me what the wicket keeper, slips and fielders in general are there for again?
- A maiden by Hilfenhaus, England 40-0 after 4 overs this morning, 16 in total.
- First boundary of the morning, Straiss with a fine controlled shot down the offside. Not very good bowling by Harris, too wide and high, more easy boundary strokes for Strauss, 3 boundaries of that over England 52-0 after 5 on the day, 17 overs in total. 50 partnership already for England, Strauss on 32 off 58, Cook on 20 off 44 and looking comfortable. The missed catch could prove very costly for Australia.
- England 54-0 after 18 overs, run rate of 3, 214 behind.
- Mitchell Johnson is brought on for Harris, who only had 3 bad overs this morning, and starts very, very short against the England skipper. Another boundary by Straussy, fine stride, and a single from the last ball makes it 59-0 after 19 overs.
- Hilfenhaus stays on at the other end. First boundary of the morning for Cook and a couple of singles make it 65-0 after 20 overs. 8 overs and all England so far this morning, 36 runs from it, 16 over rate, 4.5 run rate after Australia missed/ignored a catch and key wicket off the England skipper Strauss.
- Strauss nearly got Cook in a sweat, calling for a run and then re-thinking and -shouting it, apologises after wards. 4 from the over, England 69-0, 199 behind.
- A couple of singles from the over, England 71-0 after 22 overs. 10 overs so far this morning, 42 runs, England going smoothly and comfortably, the openers on the highest partnership of the match so far. Who can get the breakthrough for the Aussies?
- Another wide, short ball smashed for four by Cook, Ponting is not impressed with Johnson. England 75-0.
- Hilfenhaus no ball, first of the match, he was onto a maiden, 2 runs off the seventh and last ball of the over, England 78-0.
- WICKET - Mike Hussey at gully catches Cook off Johnson, a bit late in the stroke. Cook stays at the crease for a couple of seconds getting his hopes up for a review but it definitely carried. Australia finally get the breakthrough, Englands 78-1, Cook out for 32 of 63. Jonathan Trott comes in at numver 3. You can feel how Australia are lifted up by the wicket straight away. Wicket maiden, a good over for Johnson.
- A maiden for Hilfenhaus too, England 78-0, 190 behind.
- Trott still on 0, bat high, wicket keeper appeals for a catch, no touch and not much of an appeal though, not out. Trott off the mark with a boundary through the slips - and is GONE the next ball. A little swing for Johnson, lbw, Trott out for 4 off 8, England 82-2. Kevin Pietersen is on, given OUT lbw too, sent for a review, looked like a late swinger, pitched in line, hits the stumps hard, wicket stands, England lose a review and the third WICKET, KP out for a duck, England 82-3 after 27 overs and suddenly up against it. 7 overs, 2 maidens, 21 runs and 3 wickets for Johnson, from boo to woo man for Australia, turning the morning around.
- Sweet boundary for the skipper Strauss takes him to 49. How crucial is that missed/ignored catch no?! Straussy gets his 22nd Test half century off 95 balls, he is on 51, England on 88-3 after 28 overs.
- Paul Collingwood faces his first delivery v Johnson and is off the mark with a single from the last ball of the 29th over, England 89-3.
- England 92-3 after 18 overs this morning, Colly doing well v Hilfenhaus.
- Colly nearly caught at slip, just drops short, would have been a spectacular catch. Ponting smiling for the first time. England 94-3 at the end of that over.
- Harris back on for the Aussies, see if he can improve his morning as well v Strauss. Peter Siddle seems to be warming up too. WICKET - outside edge, the skipper caught behind, beaten by a little swing, out for 52 off 102, crucial wicket. England are in trouble collapsing to 94-4. Ian Bell joins Colly on 5 and is off the mark with a boundary. 98-4 at the end of that over, much better by Harris. About half an hour until lunch, suddenly England are sweating and praying for the break, Australia smelling blood with the two new batsmen on.
- Johnson lbw appeal against Collingwood, not given, Ponting sends it for review, no risk no fun, looks high... But the decision is reversed, it is a WICKET, as the hawkeye shows the ball hits the top of middle and on stump, Colly's out for 5 off 1, England are reeling 98-5. Matt Prior comes on, Johnson is on 4 wickets for 24 runs in his 10th over. A wicket maiden it is, successful over for Johnson, what a turnaround for him and Australia! Half an hour to go until lunch. 21 overs so far this morning, 69 runs, 5 wickets. See what England's lower order can do...
- England reach and pass the 100 mark, not much cheers and applause, surprise, surprise. 101-5,167 runs behind.
- Long break and fielding changes by Australia, Johnson bowls short v Bell, another maiden for him, 101-5 it stays.
- 4 leg byes as the wicketkeeper is overstretched and pushes the ball onto the boundary. Prior is the off the mark with a couple off Harris, England 107-5 after 36 overs, 24 overs this session, 161 behind.
- Siddle is on just before lunch, v Bell. 3 fine runs down mid on, brings Bell on the last ball, knicks it wide of Brad Haddin for four. England 114-5 after 37 overs, 154 behind.
- Harris starts with a wide, next ball Haddin is the only one shouting for a catch against Bell, no interest whatsoever in that one, umpires and Australia alike. Some cool and good running takes England to lunch on 119-5 after 38 overs. Bell on 13 off 20, Prior 3 off 16. 26 overs for 90 runs and 5 wickets this morning, 13 over rate and 3.46 run rate. England collapsed losing 5 wickets for as little as 20 runs, Mitchell Johnson starring and smacking in 4 of them. The lower order will have to stand for another 149 runs for England to make up the deficit. Who would have thought that about 90 minutes ago, ey? England on top, cruising, Australia looking all lost hope... Fool me! The match and series is more than on again!
2nd session highlights:
- WICKET - Prior out for 12 off 42, bowled by Siddle, the ball bounces backwards and forwards between bat and body and onto the off stump, an odd/lucky/freaky but one, but welcome wicket for the Aussies, England 145-6, 123 runs behind. Graeme Swann on.
- WICKET - Swann caught behind, out for 11 off 32, England 181-7, second wicket for Harris after taking the crucial one the skipper.
- WICKET - Bell 53 off 90 caught by Ponting at second slip, another one for Harris, England 186-8.
- WICKET - Anderson caught by Watson at first slip, easy catch, a duck for Johnson to finish England off and make it 6-38 for him. England 187 all out after 62.3 overs, 81 runs behind, and tea is taken early. Johnson finished England off taking two more wickets making it 6-38 in total for him, brilliant figures, Harris improving after a bad start to the day taking 3 wickets including the skipper Straussy. We have got a match and series on our hands alright after all!
3rd session highlights:
- England appeal for a catch against Shane Watson, not given, Australia 6-0, England don't go for review. It looked like a serious appeal, so, how come they don't take the review? Replays show the ball hit the trousers, that made the sound, great decision by the umpires, no review wasted for England.
- Aus 31-0 after 12 overs, Watson on 19, Hughes on 12, 112 ahead, at drinks, England need a breakthrough (or 2/3/4/5...) so they can go into day three thinking more positive...
- WICKET! And there it is, England have the breakthrough, Hughes caught at third slip by Colly off Finn, easy comfortable catch shoulder higher, the opener is out for 12 off 31, Australia 31-1. Skipper Ponting is in, looking for a good score desperately, not just for his own record, but for the fate of this series which is hanging in a worrying balance for the Aussies... He is off the mark with a single. Australia 31-1 at the end of that over.
- Ponting faces Anderson, the man who got him out three times this series, the Aussie skipper's demon? The skipper averaging just above 20 runs this series scoring 83 in the six innings so far. England appeal for a catch, umpire doesn't give it, but England seem sure he hit it... Hot spot shows the ball hit his glove... And, the umpire's decision is overturne, Ponting is OUT! For 1 off 9 balls, caught behind, off Steven Finn, Australia 34-2, 115 ahead. Still a miserable series for the skipper so far, run-wise at least...
- WICKET - Michael Clarke bowled by Chris Tremlett for 20 off 18, trying to play an angled bat shot, failed as the ball deflects and crashes into the stumps, Australia 64-3, 145 ahead. Could this be the start of yet another major collapse?
- The answers is no, not yet anyways, Watson with his 14th Test fifty (61*) and Hussey (24*) withstand and hold through till the end of the day, their parternship standing on 55 and Australia on 119-3, 200 runs ahead, at the end of the second day of the thirs Test. England will be hoping they can break through them nice and quickly and in similar fashion to this late session, taking three wickets for 33 runs this session.
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