England Stages Comeback in Second Ashes Test Against Australia

England's Resilient Response

In a remarkable turnaround, England has bounced back strongly after an early challenge, thanks to a solid, unbeaten partnership of 93 runs between Zak Crawley and Joe Root. This occurred after the visitors faced a tough start when Mitchell Starc of Australia dismissed both Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope cheaply during the second Ashes Test in Brisbane. By the end of the first session, England had reached 98 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in 24 overs, with Crawley on 61* and Root on 32*.

Starc's Early Strikes Shake England

Choosing to bat first, England encountered immediate trouble. Mitchell Starc, the left-arm fast bowler, dismissed opener Ben Duckett for a golden duck in the very first over. Duckett attempted a defensive shot, but the ball edged his bat and was caught easily by Marnus Labuschagne in the slips.

Starc struck again shortly after, taking the wicket of Ollie Pope on the third ball of the third over. Pope tried to play a shot towards off-stump, but the ball clipped the inside edge of his bat and crashed into the stumps, leaving England at a precarious 11/2.

Crawley and Root's Partnership Fuels Recovery

In the fourth over, Zak Crawley narrowly escaped dismissal when Australia opted not to review a close call. Michael Neser bowled a delivery that Crawley edged, but the umpire did not raise his finger, allowing him to continue his innings.

Joe Root, who joined Crawley at the crease, played with caution initially. In the ninth over, Starc conceded two boundaries to Crawley, and the pair reached a 50-run partnership by the 12th over. They skillfully rotated the strike, accumulating runs through singles and doubles.

Crawley had another close call when Scott Boland failed to catch a ball in his follow-through during the 18th over. However, he continued to score, reaching his first fifty of the Ashes series in 67 balls, a significant achievement after a disappointing performance in the first Test in Perth.

England's Position at Tea

Root and Crawley effectively managed the Australian bowling attack, ensuring England finished the first day of the pink ball Test at the Gabba with a score of 98/2.

Australia entered this match with momentum, having secured an eight-wicket victory in the series opener, which concluded in just two days, highlighted by a brilliant century from Travis Head and a 10-wicket haul from Mitchell Starc.

Match Summary

Brief Scores: England 98/2 (Zak Crawley 61*, Joe Root 32*, Mitchell Starc 3/26) vs Australia.