England bowlers continue to struggle
Melbourne: Opening batsman David Warner (103, 151b, 13×4, 1×6) enjoyed a gift-wrapped century after being reprieved on 99 as Australia emerged on top at the close of a meandering first day of the Boxing Day Test against England here Tuesday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Warner was caught at mid-on on the cusp of his 21st Test hundred, and first of the ongoing Ashes, but the dismissal was cancelled to the delight of a festive MCG when the replay showed England’s debutant paceman Tom Curran had overstepped.
The home vice-captain reached his ton on the next ball and while he was unable to push on much further his 103 helped drive Australia to 244 for three at stumps, a strong position after skipper Steve Smith (65 batting, 131b, 6×4) won the toss and opted to bat on a slow, flat wicket.
Warner said he was delighted to be given another life on 99. “Getting recalled was obviously fantastic,” he told reporters after the end of the day’s play. “It was a bit of a roller coaster of emotions between those two deliveries, that’s for sure.”
Smith’s brilliant series continued, the Australian captain putting together an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 84 runs with Shaun Marsh (31 batting). The pair steered Australia to safety after Stuart Broad ended a 70-over wicket drought to have Usman Khawaja caught behind for 17.
Smith now remains unbeaten in three consecutive Boxing Day Tests, having scored a total of 434 runs in matches against West Indies, Pakistan and now England.
After Warner and fellow opener Cameron Bancroft piled on 102 runs to lunch, Australia added only 43 in the second session as England rallied with two wickets in brilliant sunshine. All-rounder Chris Woakes broke Warner and Bancroft’s 122-run partnership by having Bancroft lbw for 26.
Warner after his reprieve raised his hundred with a single on the next ball and celebrated with his customary running jump and fist-pump before offering Curran some choice words, angering England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.
Veteran paceman James Anderson then removed Warner with a fine delivery that jagged back off the seam to catch an edge on the way through to Bairstow. The wicket drew Anderson level with West Indies great Courtney Walsh on 519 Test victims, equal fifth on the all-time list.
After dismissing Khawaja, Broad very nearly trapped new batsman Marsh in front but the lbw appeal was turned down. Root reviewed but the decision remained the umpire’s call, with the tracking technology showing it clipping the bails.
Smith meanwhile looked his usual fluent self and raised his 22nd Test half century by driving part-time spinner Dawid Malan for two runs through the covers.
Brief scores: Australia 244 for three (David Warner 103, Steve Smith 65 batting) versus England. Match to continue.
Mates, rival laud ‘freakish’ Steve
David Warner said Tuesday that in-form Steve Smith is a freakish talent while England’s leading bowler James Anderson asserted the Australia skipper is in the form of his life.
Smith was well on the way to posting his fourth consecutive century in the showpiece Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) after an unbeaten 65 in Australia’s 244 for three after day one.
The quirky Smith hasn’t been dismissed in a Melbourne Test match since Boxing Day 2014 and is on track to repeat the feat on a bat-friendly MCG pitch. In the last three showpiece Boxing Day Tests here, Smith has scored 192 against India, 134 not out against the West Indies and an unbeaten 165 last year against Pakistan. So far in this series Smith has amassed 491 runs against England at a stunning average of 163.66 from five innings.
“I think we all wish we were half the batter Steve Smith is at the moment because he’s seeing them like watermelons, but he makes the game look so easy,” said team vice-captain Warner. “He’s just a freak… I don’t know how he does what he does.
“He’s very mentally strong, we always talk about the way that he prepares. England said that they had come up with a game plan to get him out and obviously it hasn’t worked so far in this series. He’s got a unique technique that you wouldn’t coach any other kid,” added the southpaw opener.
England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker Anderson, who has had a running battle with Smith during the Ashes series, said it was up to the bowlers to figure a way to get him out.
“I won’t say I’m sick of the sight of him, I would like to get him out but every now and then you come up against a player who’s in the form of his life,” Anderson said. “He’s the leading run-scorer in Test cricket this year and obviously he’s in a hot streak.
“As a bowler it can be tough coming up against someone like that, but it’s our job to try and figure on ways of getting him out,” added the England pacer.
