England vs Australia, 3rd Test, Day 3: Talking Points

Persistent rain played spoilsport in the first two sessions of the third day of the Ashes 3rd Test. However, play eventually resumed in the third session under overcast conditions. Unfortunately, only one over could be bowled before drizzling forced another interruption. After a 13-minute break, the players took the field again, eager to make up for lost time. It was Chris Woakes who made an immediate impact for England. He managed to dismiss Mitchell Marsh, who nicked the ball to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow while trying to leave it. Woakes continued his impressive spell, claiming his third wicket as Alex Carey under-edged the ball onto his stumps. Australia found themselves struggling at 168/7 in the 58th over, with Travis Head on 33.

Shortly after the drinks break, Mark Wood joined the party and removed Mitchell Starc in the 59th over with a well-directed bouncer. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Head fought valiantly and brought up his 16th Test half-century while batting with the lower order. Australia crossed the 200-run mark in the 64th over, but England’s bowlers remained relentless. Stuart Broad, who had a relatively quiet day, returned for his second spell and sent Daniel Murphy back to the pavilion. Head, however, continued to battle on, taking Australia’s lead past the 250-run mark. But Broad had the last laugh, claiming the final wicket as Head departed on 77 while attempting a big shot.

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Australia was eventually bowled out for 224 runs in 67.1 overs. Head was the standout performer for the visitors with a determined innings, while Stuart Broad finished with figures of 3/45, making crucial breakthroughs for England. In the opening overs of England’s innings, Australia wasted a review as a delivery to opener Ben Duckett was deemed to have missed the bat. Despite the tricky conditions, Zak Crawley and Duckett survived the remaining 5 overs of the day, reaching a total of 27/0 at stumps. Crawley was unbeaten on 9, while Duckett contributed 18 runs to the scoreboard.

As the game enters its fourth day, England will hope their openers can build a solid foundation and guide the team towards a significant total. Meanwhile, Australia’s bowlers will be eager to make early breakthroughs and put their team back in a commanding position in this crucial Ashes encounter.