The Ashes: Live coverage of Day 1 of the second Test between Australia and England at the Gabba
The Ashes pink-ball Test is here - and Australia are looking to take a stranglehold on the series.
All eyes are on Aussie skipper Pat Cummins in Brisbane, while WA’s Josh Inglis will be looking to impress as he gets set for a recall to the line-up in place of the injured Usman Khawaja.
As for England, the tourists have plenty of questions to answer after being destroyed inside two days in the series opener in Perth. Can the likes of Ben Stokes and Joe Root respond in the day-night format?
Stay across the latest from the Gabba here, with the toss of the coin at 11.30am (WA time) and the day’s play to begin 30 minutes later.
Key Events
Nervous 80s
Joe Root finds himself on 88 not out as drinks are taken at the Gabba.
He had a few nervous pokes outside off stump in the last over before the break from Cameron Green but was not made to pay with his wicket.
ENG 6-235
Not over yet
Will Jacks is listed at No.8 but is very capable with the bat — as evidenced by a crisp cover drive from the bowling of Cameron Green which rocketed to the boundary.
England’s lower order could give them some ballast, with No.9 Gus Atkinson and No.10 Brydon Carse also decent batters.
ENG 6-227
There’s a Will
Welcome to Ashes cricket, Will Jacks.
The spin-bowling all-rounder — who replaced the injured Mark Wood in England’s side — has clipped Scott Boland off his pads for his first run against Australia.
ENG 6-216
Pressure? What pressure
If Joe Root is feeling the pinch, he is not showing it.
Having remained at the crease while Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith came and went in quick succession, he seized on some width offered by Brendan Doggett to cut a boundary which has moved him to 82 not out.
ENG 6-215
Smith gone!
And now Jamie Smith has departed without scoring!
Scott Boland was able to breach the England wicketkeeper’s defences with an inswinger which cannoned into his middle stump, going through a sizable gap between bat and pad.
It’s all happening under lights at the Gabba.
ENG 6-210
Calamitous run out!
Australia have broken through for a wicket they desperately needed with a run out!
Ben Stokes had faced out five dot balls from Brendan Doggett and tried to break the shackles by setting off for a hugely ambitious quick single after dropping the sixth of the over into the off-side.
He was rightly sent back by Joe Root and WA’s Josh Inglis — who normally wears the wicketkeeping gloves — kept his cool and managed to hit the stumps with the England captain well short of his ground.
ENG 5-210
Sublime from Root
Scott Boland had conceded only two runs from his first 11 deliveries in this session, but Joe Root relieved the pressure with a sublime straight drive which rocketed to the boundary.
He is now on to 77 not out.
ENG 4-210
Ambitious review
Joe Root has survived an LBW appeal from the bowling of Scott Boland which was referred to the third umpire by Steve Smith.
Root came a fair way down the wicket and was shown by ball tracking to have been struck well outside off stump.
Australia now have only one review remaining.
ENG 4-206
Starc v Stokes
Ben Stokes and Mitchell Starc had an enthralling battle in that over, which saw the batter crisply drive the first ball back down the ground for four before being beaten flashing outside his off stump later.
Starc owns a fine record against the England captain, who he knocked over twice in the first Test in Perth.
ENG 4-203
Here we go Joe
How Joe Root deals with a milestone which is drawing nearer will be one of the major sources of fascination in his session.
The second-leading run-scorer in the history of Test cricket is now on to 70 not out as he hunts his first hundred on Australian soil.
ENG 4-199
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