Highlights:
The pink ball shimmered under Brisbane’s floodlights, but for England fans, the second day of the Ashes Test felt painfully familiar. The optimism inspired by Joe Root’s century on day one evaporated quickly as England’s bowlers struggled for control and the fielders squandered opportunities, allowing Australia to wrestle their way into the ascendancy.
England’s attack, so disciplined the previous evening, sprayed a cocktail of short balls and half-volleys that invited punishment. Five catching chances went begging, with Ben Duckett and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith each guilty of two costly drops. The touring side’s mission to take 20 wickets in Australia is difficult enough under normal circumstances; with chances slipping through fingers, it becomes near-herculean.
Despite this, Australia’s lead of 44—closing on 378 for six from England’s 334—felt competitive rather than conclusive. Earlier, the hosts had looked poised to accelerate well beyond England’s total after reaching 291 for three. Late wickets, though, kept the door stubbornly ajar for Ben Stokes’s men.
Even Stokes, usually a model of precision in these moments, struggled for rhythm under lights. Yet he remained a threat: after Duckett reprieved Josh Inglis on 23, Stokes uprooted the middle stump two balls later. The day-night format heightened the drama, with the pink Kookaburra swinging unpredictably once dusk descended.
Brydon Carse epitomised England’s chaotic day. His 17 overs cost 113 runs, but he removed both Cameron Green for 45 and Steve Smith for 61. He later dropped a sitter off Michael Neser, underlining England’s malaise in the field. Australia, meanwhile, maintained a frenetic tempo above five runs per over. Crucially, each incoming batter continued the momentum built by the last.
Behind the stumps, the contrast between the two wicketkeepers was stark. Alex Carey, flawless on day one, survived an early chance off Duckett and compiled a brisk unbeaten 46 to halt England’s hopes of a late collapse. Smith, making his Ashes debut, endured a torrid day: he dropped Travis Head on three and failed to move for another chance off Carey on 25.
Yet amid the blunders were two exceptional moments of athleticism. Marnus Labuschagne, fresh from a gritty 65, produced a spectacular diving catch in the deep to end England’s innings and leave Root stranded on 138 not out. Then Will Jacks delivered the moment of the day, sprinting and diving full-stretch at backward square to remove Steve Smith during Carse’s mini-revival. It was one bright spot after Jacks had earlier bowled a loose exploratory over of off-spin.
Jofra Archer bowled far better than his figures of one for 74 suggested. Drops off Head and Neser distorted his impact, and a seven-over post-interval spell left him drained when the twilight conditions might have favoured him most. Still, he bagged the crucial wicket of Jake Weatherald, whose energetic 72 launched Australia’s innings in style.
For all the frustration—swings, spills, and wild passages of play—England ended the day still fighting. Weatherald recently labelled franchise cricket “shit”, but after this breathless contest at the Gabba, his argument for the unique drama of Test cricket felt compelling.
