Jake Weatherald's maiden half-century (59*) led Australia to 130/1 at the end of the first session on Day 2 of the second Ashes Test. Australia trails England, who were all out for 334 with Joe Root unbeaten on 138*, by 204 runs.
Another lively session of Test cricket after Australian opener Jake Weatherald slammed his maiden half-century as Australia are 204 runs behind England's first innings total (334) at the end of the first session of Day 2 of the second Test at the Gabba, Brisbane on Friday.
At the end of the first session, Australia were at 130/1 in 21 overs with opener Weatherald (59*) and Marnus Labuschagne (27*) unbeaten on the crease.
England bundled out for 334
Day 2 started with England continuing from 325/9 with Joe Root (135*) and Jofra Archer (32*) on strike. During the second ball of the 76th over, Archer played a brilliant drive to ace speedster Mitchell Starc that went for a boundary. However, England's innings was cut short after pacer Brendan Doggett removed Archer during the second ball of the 77th over. Archer played a well-timed pull shot, but Marnus Labuschagne took a blinder at backward square leg region as England were bundled out for 334 runs in the first innings. Archer made 38 runs off 36 deliveries, including two fours and two sixes.
Root's record-breaking knock
Root, who slammed his maiden Test hundred on Australian soil, remained unbeaten on 138 runs off 206 balls, with the help of 15 fours and one six. Root's 138*-run knock was also the highest individual score vs Australia in a day-night Test match. The England great surpassed Pakistan's Asad Shafiq's 137-run tally, which came in 2016 at the Gabba in Brisbane.
The 10th wicket partnership of 70 between Root & Archer was also the highest for England in Australia since 1951/52.
Starc's six-wicket haul
For Australia, Mitchell Starc (6/75 in 20 overs) had brilliant outing with the ball in the first innings. This was Starc's second five-wicket haul in the ongoing Ashes. Overall, it was his 18th fifer in Test cricket.
Starc also completed 250 Test wickets in Australia in 11502 balls. Only Dale Steyn has got to 250 wickets in a country quicker - 9863 balls to 250 wickets in South Africa.
Australia's strong reply
In response to England's 334, Australian openers Travis Head and Jake Weatherald started cautiously. Speedsters Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson troubled both the Australian openers by bowling in right channels. Australia scored their first runs after 20 balls after Weatherald hit a boundary to Atkinson.
In the eighth over, Weatherald broke the shackles and hammered three boundaries against Atkinson. During the second ball of the ninth over, wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith dropped a catch of Head. Archer bowled a superb delivery, which found the edge of Head. However, Smith made a mess behind the stumps.
In the very next over, Head slammed a boundary and a six to Brydon Carse as Australia reached the 50-run mark in the first over. Carse, who was leaking runs, got the first wicket for England after the speedster removed dangerous Head for 33 runs in the 14th over.
Weatherland continued his aggressive approach as Australia crossed the 100-run mark in 17.2 overs. The Australian opener slammed his maiden half-century in the same over.
Marnus, who joined Weatherald at the crease, hit quick boundaries, putting pressure back on England as Australia reached 125/1 in just 20 overs.
For the record, 125/1 is the second-highest score at the end of 20 overs in the first innings of a team in a Test in Australia, only behind Australia's 146/0 against India at Perth in 2012, where ball-by-ball data is available.
Marnus and Jake negotiated the threat and ensured Australia sat in a comfortable position at the end of the first session.
Day 1 Recap
Earlier on Day 1, England clawed their way back impressively after Crawley and Root steadied the ship with a well-composed 93-run partnership after the visitors suffered an early setback after Australia seamer Mitchell Starc removed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope cheaply.
Root slammed his maiden hundred on Australian soil, reaching the milestone in 181 deliveries. Overall, it was Root's 40th hundred in the longest format.The former England captain Root took 30 innings to reach his maiden hundred in Australia. The great batter became the second English player, after Maurice Leyland, to score a century on the opening day of a Gabba Test. Overall, Root became the eighth batter to hit a Test hundred for England at the Gabba.
Brief Scores
Brief Scores: England 334 (Zak Crawley 76, Joe Root 138*, Mitchell Starc 6/75) vs Australia 130/1 (Jake Weatherlad 59*, Marnus Labuschagne 27*) (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)