On Day 2 at Lord’s, Australia (30/1) trail England (258) by 228 runs at stumps. Earlier, visitors rode on Josh Hazlewood’s wonderful bowling attempts (3/58), Pat Cummins (3/61) and Nathan Lyon (3/68) to bowl out England for 258 after choosing to bowl in the 2nd Lord’s Ashes Test.
Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon took three wickets each as Australia bowled England for 258 and reached 30 for one in response to take control of Thursday’s second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
After the first day got washed out by the rain, Australia won the toss and placed in England to bat, Hazlewood, taking two early wickets to give the touring side the initiative which they never surrendered.
Rory Burns and Jonny Bairstow did half centuries, but England’s batting performance was disappointing, and Australia will be confident to claim a first-inning lead and push for a victory that would set them 2-0 up in the series.
Jason Roy lasted three balls, flashing wildly at his first, before edging a lifting Hazlewood delivery to wicketkeeper Tim Paine for naught.Joe Root drove Cummins twice gently to the extra cover boundary before being caught by Hazlewood on 14, with a delivery that jagged back and held low.
Burns, who made a patient century in Edgbaston’s first test, dug in to play the part of anchor again, but he was given a life when he drove loose at a wide ball from Peter Siddle and Usman Khawaja spilled a sharp catch on the gully.
Hazlewood, recalled to the side, bowled two probing and accurate spells, conceding only 14 runs in 10 overs to lift Australia’s quest for the first time since 2001 to win the Ashes in England.
Burns slog-swept Lyon for four to bring up the fifty and the left-hander was 34 not out with Joe Denly unbeaten on 27 as the hosts reached 76 for two at lunch.
However, as occurred frequently in Denly’s early test career, he failed to capitalize on a strong start.
Burns finished his third fifty test, off 119 balls, and he was the victim of Cameron Bancroft’s wonderful short-leg reaction catch as the batsman was looking to turn a short delivery from Cummins off his hip.
Bancroft (five not out) and Khawaja (18 not out) survived a fiery spell by Archer on his debut, however, and with rain forecast to disrupt day three, England face an uphill task to level the series and boost their hopes of regaining the Ashes.