Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
England A frantic second day at the MCG begins an adrenaline-fuelled chase as they seek a first Test victory on Australian soil in almost 15 years.
The second two-day match of the series will be played in Melbourne, where England posted 77, chasing 175 at tea break.
After both teams were knocked out on day one, England notched up 10 more wins in 35 overs to pummel the hosts for 132, giving them a chance to end a winless run that spanned three tours and 18 Tests behind enemy lines.
To do that, they needed a game-high score in seamer’s paradise, but they seized the opportunity to attack with all their might and made important progress.
Ben Duckett When the chase begins, things are at their most intense, flick Mitchell Stark He had a pair of nerve-relieving boundaries on the pads before two near misses. His stump survived thanks to an inch of late movement, and a sprawling Stark couldn’t hold on as he pushed the leading edge back onto the track.
Perhaps encouraged by the apparent shift in momentum, Zach Crowley Michael Neser hit consecutive sixes and chased hard at cover. Duckett made the most of his luck and, despite being beaten on a couple of occasions, found enough composure to step over the keeper’s head and beat Neser for six.
His roller-coaster run of 34 off 26 balls came to an end when Starc pierced one of his overs with pace. The stadium announcer originally announced Harry Brooke As his replacement, Jacob Besser was handed the card, but England had a bigger surprise in store when Carls left.
It was an unpredictable move but the result was predictable, with Australia pulling away and waiting for a wild miss to hit the sky. The strategy lasted eight balls and resulted in six runs until Bethel belatedly joined the action.
England’s first order of the day was to remove wicketkeeper Scott Boland, who opened the scoring for a solitary first night to a roar of applause from the home fans.
Atkinson solved the problem, a hint of extra bounce in the channel being enough to unblock him on his back foot. Atkinson’s joy didn’t last long, though, as he clutched his left hamstring at the end of the fourth round. He immediately left for evaluation and was never seen again.
His absence hastened the introduction of Ben Stokes and the skipper quickly got up and ran, attacking Jack Wetherard from around the wicket and batting away from the stumps as the left-hander withdrew his bat.
Travis Head, the most prolific batsman of the series, continued the attack and his ability to keep the scoreboard rolling proved invaluable with the ball dancing long distance. He provided a chance at 26 points, cutting Tongue to the back point, but was blocked by Will Jacks, losing another 20 points.
Marnus Labuschagne suffered a brief and agonizing stay, taking two knocks on his gloves during a vicious over-ball from Stokes before cutting his tongue to Joe Root at first slip. Labuschagne stood his ground, convinced the ball had not been played cleanly, and was visibly angry when the TV referee disagreed.
Hyde extended the lead to three figures with the game’s first half-century when Kasai found a ball with his name on it, yanked it off his legs and tipped the wicket to complete a picturesque exit.
It was the first of three wickets in six runs as Australia succumbed to a nervous attack in uncomfortable circumstances. Usman Khawaja was tongue-tied and slapped stiffly to fine leg, substitute fielder Ollie Pope made his contribution for the side before Alex Carey took Kars to second slip.
Australia finished with a lunch score of 98 runs in six matches, taking their wicket count to a staggering 26 runs in just four games. England did not miss this opportunity this time. After returning in the afternoon, Carls and Stokes shared the spoils and advanced to the semi-finals with 34 points.
Timid Cameron Green provided Harry Brooke with catching practice and a soft jab knocked down Stokes, who finished as No. 11 Jay Richardson slid into midfield. During this period, Karls made consecutive passes to get Nese and Stark, the first was an instinctive catch, the second was a flash slip.