Brisbane: Joe Root grafted his way to 26 and shared an unbroken 41-run, third-wicket stand with Dawid Malan as England reached 107-2 at tea on Day 3 of the Ashes series opener, reducing Australia’s big first-innings lead.
Travis Head was last man out for 152 when the Australians were dismissed for 425 late in the first session Friday, a lead of 278 runs.
England’s openers survived to reach 23 without loss at the first interval but both were out early in the afternoon session and the total was 61-2 when skipper Root, the leading test batsman in 2021, went to the crease.
Root and Malan set about making amends for the failure in the first innings when he won the toss, elected to bat and England was bundled out for 147. Malan faced 92 balls for his unbeaten 35 at the tea break. England was still 171 behind with two days and a session remaining at the Gabba.
Opener Rory Burns narrowly avoided an unwanted pair, getting a reprieve after being given out lbw to Mitchell Starc without scoring in the first over of England’s second innings two days after being bowled out by the Australian left-arm paceman on the first ball of the series.
This time, a successful review showed the ball may have gone over the stumps.
But he was out in the first over after the interval without addition to his score or the England total when he was caught behind of Australia captain Pat Cummins for 13.
Haseeb Hameed compiled 27 from 58 deliveries before he gloved a legside catch off Starc to wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the only other wicket of the middle session.
Day 3 started with Australia on 343-7, and Head on 112, and the hosts added 82 for the loss three wickets.
Head marshalled the lower order after England rallied midway through Day 2 with three wickets, including opener David Warner for 94.
He shared important partnerships of 70 with Cummins (12) on Day 2, and 85 for the eighth wicket with Starc (35) and 29 for the ninth with Nathan Lyon (15) on Day 3 to prolong Australia’s innings and keep a tiring England team in the field in humid conditions.
Starc was the first wicket to fall in an extended morning session, hitting Chris Woakes directly to Burns to make the total 391-8.
Woakes missed a one-handed return catch with Australia on 395-8, and then Lyon hit a boundary off Ben Stokes in the next over to raise Australia’s 400.
Lyon was out to Mark Wood when Head was on 147 and Australia was on 420, leaving No. 11 Josh Hazlewood to hang around long enough to help his teammate cross 150.
Head reached the milestone with a boundary against Jack Leach, his innings including 15 fours and four sixes. It also took Leach beyond 100 runs conceded in 12.1 overs.
But with the batters trying to keep the run-rate up, Wood bowled Head to finish the innings and return 3-85. Ollie Robinson had figures of 3-58 and Woakes had 2-76. Stokes, playing his first test match since March, had 0-65 off 12 overs and appeared to be struggling with his fitness.
