Australia Dominates England to Secure 2-0 Lead in Ashes Series

Australia's Commanding Victory

Australia showcased a dominant performance, clinching an eight-wicket victory over England on Day 4 of the second Ashes Test at The Gabba on Sunday. This win propelled Australia to a 2-0 advantage in the five-match Ashes series against England.

Swift Chase by Australia

The Australian team successfully chased down a target of 65 runs in just 10 overs, with stand-in captain Steve Smith scoring 23 not out and opener Jake Weatherald contributing 17 not out.

Resuming the third session of Day 4 at 33/0 after 5 overs, openers Travis Head (19) and Jake Weatherald (10) faced England's bowlers. However, Head was dismissed by Gus Atkinson in the first over after the break, scoring 22 runs off 22 balls.

Atkinson struck again, claiming Marnus Labuschagne's wicket, who managed only three runs before being caught by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

Steve Smith, alongside Weatherald, countered the England bowlers effectively, scoring 15 runs off Jofra Archer and 10 runs off Atkinson, leading Australia to victory with eight wickets remaining.

Root's Record-Breaking Century

In their first innings, England posted a total of 334 runs, with Joe Root achieving his first century on Australian soil. He reached this milestone in 181 balls on Day 1 of the second Test in Brisbane, marking his 40th Test century overall.

Root took 30 innings to secure his first hundred in Australia, becoming the second English player to score a century on the opening day of a Gabba Test, following Maurice Leyland. He is also the eighth player to score a Test century for England at the Gabba.

Root finished with an impressive 138 runs off 206 balls, including 15 fours and one six, leading England to their first innings total. His score was the highest by any player against Australia in a day-night Test, surpassing Asad Shafiq's previous record of 137 runs set in 2016.

Australia's Strong Response

Australia responded robustly, amassing 511 runs in their first innings. Key contributions came from Jake Weatherald (72), Marnus Labuschagne (65), Steve Smith (61), wicketkeeper Alex Carey (63), and Mitchell Starc (77), all scoring half-centuries and establishing a 177-run lead.

England's Second Innings Collapse

In their second innings, England began aggressively, with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett quickly reducing the deficit by 48 runs in just 7.3 overs. However, the Australian bowlers soon regained control, with Scott Boland taking the first wicket by dismissing Duckett for 15.

Michael Neser then made significant breakthroughs, removing both Ollie Pope (26) and Zak Crawley (44). Despite a decent run rate, the Australian bowlers consistently took wickets, with Starc dismissing Jaimie Smith (4).

Joe Root (15) and Harry Brook (15) fell to Starc and Boland, respectively, marking a pivotal shift in England's innings. Captain Ben Stokes fought back with a score of 50, but England was ultimately bowled out for 241, setting Australia a target of 65 runs, which they chased down comfortably.

Match Summary

Brief Scores: England 334 and 241 (Zak Crawley 76, Joe Root 138; Mitchell Starc 6/75) vs Australia 511 and 69/2 (Mitchell Starc 77, Jake Weatherald 72; Brydon Carse 4/152).