On another action-packed day of the Ashes, with the pendulum swinging this way and that, England finished Day 1 of the pivotal third Test at Headingley on 68/3 after bowling Australia out for 263.
A superb century from Mitchell Marsh on Thursday dragged Australia back into the contest after the visitors had been struggling at 85/4, before a blistering spell of bowling from Mark Wood (5/34) had the crowd off their seats.
Taking the final six Australian wickets for just 23 runs, England looked to be in the ascendancy in a match they must win to prevent Australia from retaining the Ashes with two Tests to spare.
But they were hit by Marsh with the ball too, as the seamer all-rounder, in his first Test since the final game of the 2019 Ashes, picked up Harry Brook after Australia captain Pat Cummins had sent England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley back.
If England are to take a big lead in this Test, a lot will rely on Joe Root (19 batting) and Jonny Bairstow (batting on one), both of whom resume the proceedings on Day 2.
Courtesy Marsh’s run-a-ball 118, Australia posted a somewhat modest total after being put into bat in overcast conditions and on a seamer-friendly track.
Mark Wood of England holds up the ball after completing his fifer with Todd Murphy’s wicket on Thursday. AP/PTI
Marsh, chosen in place of the injured Cameron Green, kept unleashing boundaries to storm to his third hundred in the longest format off just 102 balls. All of his Test centuries so far have come against England.
Marsh’s knock comprised 17 boundaries and four maximums, coming at a time Australia were in danger of being bowled out for less than 200.
If Marsh saved Australia the blushes with his ton and the counter-attacking 155-run fifth-wicket partnership with Travis Head (39), Wood, in his first appearance of this Ashes, pointed out to England the mistake they made by not including him in the XI in any of the previous two Tests.
Chris Woakes too complemented the speedster with figures of 3/73.
If only the English bowlers hadn’t bowled too many loose deliveries in the post-lunch session, the hosts could have been in a far better position in this Test. In addition, Root gave Marsh a reprieve early in the second session. Marsh had managed only 12 then.
Cashing in on that missed opportunity, the all-rounder upped the ante and piled on the runs in Thursday’s afternoon session, showing England how costly that miss was.
Just as it appeared he would remain at the crease and make England pay further for that miss, Crawley held on to a catch at the slip cordon off Woakes’ bowling to finally bring an end to Marsh’s innings on the stroke of tea.
Earlier, with tensions still high from the controversy-filled second Test at Lord’s which Australia won to take a 2-0 series lead, Stuart Broad got dismissed opener David Warner for the 16th time in the first over. Wood then unleashed a 95mph thunderbolt to castle Usman Khawaja.
Ollie Robinson, who left the field late in the second session with an injury, found the edge of the bat of an unsettled Marnus Labuschagne.
Thereafter, Steve Smith, in his 100th Test, perished off Broad that put England in command till Marsh hit back.
Written with Reuters inputs
