Mitchell Starc hits Joe Root where it hurts, latest Steve Smith ton and Nathan Lyon cops it from Barmy Army

A nation winced as Joe Root had his protective box shattered by a Mitchell Starc fizzer and Steve Smith bagged another ton without even batting. Everything you need to know from last night’s action.

• Report: Late wickets break England resistance
• Like the Don, Smith takes luck out of equation

Australia’s hopes of retaining the Ashes in Manchester are alive after a sizzling double act from pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins cracked England’s day three resistance.

Rory Burns (81) and Joe Root (71) provided a stubborn hurdle to overcome, batting for much of a lengthened middle session after a rain delay to add 141 for the third wicket.

But the day swung after a magnificent, albeit wicketless, spell from Cummins – before Hazlewood had three breakthroughs 40 minutes to blow the game open and set up a fascinating final two days.

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Here’s everything you missed from another rain-affected day’s play.

HAZLEWOOD CASHES IN ON CUMMINS’ CARNAGE

Josh Hazlewood finished the day’s play with 4-48 and with a very real chance of making the honour board at Old Trafford – though if he does, there’s a fair argument that Cummins’ name should be in brackets after it.

Australia's Josh Hazlewood took all four England wickets to fall on day three at Old Trafford.

Hazlewood went bang-bang-bang with three quick wickets to remove Burns, Root and then Jason Roy (22) with a trio of superb balls.

But for all his reward, it was Cummins who had softened England up with a magnificent spell.

“Gaz (Nathan Lyon) and Patty probably set that up, the way they bowled together and built that pressure and you just felt like something was going to come,” Hazlewood said.

“I was lucky enough to be the one bowling when it happened.”

CUMMINS ULTRA-IMPRESSIVE SPELL

After the tea break, Cummins bowled seven overs on the trot with the old ball which had Burns and Root hopping.

He hit pads, gloves and the shoulder of the bat – he had the ball seaming and swinging and got everything but a wicket.

Pat Cummins bowled a lengthy spell of sustained excellence but went unrewarded with a wicket.

He could’ve had three, Burns fending a handful of bouncers skyward which landed safely – but the key was a demoralising edge from Root which flew safely between Tim Paine at keeper and first slip David Warner (which we’ll get to in a second).

It was the longest spell Cummins had bowled in his Test career and he deserved to walk away with something to show for it.

PAINE IN TWO MINDS

Tim Paine silenced a bunch of critics with a vital half-century in the first innings but he gave reason to spark more chatter with a wicketkeeping gaffe on Friday.

Normally as reliable as anyone behind the stumps, Paine had boots of cement as a chance zipped between him Warner from the bat of Joe Root.

There’s no nicer man in cricket than the bowler, Pat Cummins, but even he was left with an exasperated look on his face.

“Unfortunately, that’s a keeper’s catch,” confirmed champion paceman Glenn McGrath, his heart breaking for a toiling fast bowler.

Australia captain Tim Paine did not have his best day with either the gloves or DRS calls.

DRS DISASTER BOBS UP AGAIN

Not for the first time, Paine was also on the wrong side of a bad DRS referral in search of a wicket.

With Root and Burns doing a number on the Australian attack, Paine put his hand into the lucky dip back for an LBW referral against the England captain which was given not out and stayed that way when HawkEye showed it to be hitting outside the line.

It took his tally for the series to a miserable six overturned from 25 attempts - Root, on the other hand, has a much more respectable 13 from 30.

SMITH’S QUIRKY REWARD FOR DOUBLE TON

Having played one of the great Ashes knocks, a supreme double century to cement his status as the best on the player on the planet, Steve Smith could’ve celebrate in any way he liked and no one would’ve batted an eyelid.

But how does Australian cricket’s brilliant, eccentric star reward himself after an innings of such substance? With a humble block of chocolate.

Smith revealed to cricket.com.au before play on day three that he gives in to his sweet tooth on days when the runs flow freely.

“I had my standard last night – I got myself a nice block of dairy milk and sat in the room, chilled out and not much else,” Smith said.

“That’s my standard ritual. When I get a 100 I reward myself and last night’s choice was a standard block of dairy milk.”

SMITH NOTCHES A DIFFERENT CENTURY

You simply can’t keep Steve Smith out of the game, or stop him from climbing up the records – even without the bat in his hand.

Steve Smith celebrates taking the catch to dismiss England opener Rory Burns.

Nine deliveries into play on day two – after a lengthy rain delay – and Smith safely held onto a straightforward chance from the edge of Craig Overton.

It sealed Josh Hazlewood’s 50th Ashes wicket … but was also another milestone for Smith, as he took his 100th Test catch and became just the 12th Australian (non-wicketkeeper) to do so.

Smith is five catches behind former skipper Ian Chappell, who had 105 catches from his 75 Tests. Ricky Ponting is top do with 196, well clear of Mark Waugh’s 181.

Mind you, Smith’s strike rate of 0.801 catches per innings is better than all Australians to have taken more than 40 catches.

BURNS MAKES UGLY BEAUTIFUL

Rory Burns hit his third 50+ score of the series to become the third-highest run scorer of these Ashes, behind Ben Stokes and – of course – Steve Smith.

Far from the prettiest batsman, Burns plays with a big heart and a keen eye and he’s found ways to frustrate and nullify the Australian attack.

When he fell for 81, he’d helped dig England out of a massive hole to be in a reasonable position at 3-166.

ROOT IS BACK IN BUSINESS …

Joe Root is back where he performs best – No. 4 – and he’s seemingly back to somewhere near his best.

Thanks to the arrival of nightwatchman Craig Overton late on day two, Root was bumped from first drop – where he averages 38.95 – to his typically preferred spot, where he returns 48.

England batsman Joe Root looks much more comfortable coming in fourth in the order.

It did the trick, with Root following his impressive second-innings 77 at Headingley with a third half-century of the series – this time a 71.

Knowing the enormity of the situation – of the Test and the series – Root’s celebration was particularly understated, with England still trailing by 362 runs at that point.

He wanted a century. But it was not forthcoming, with the affable star failing for the eighth time in a row to convert a 50 into a three figure score.

… BUT HE’S IN THE WARS

Root worked for his runs – and wore plenty of punishment as well.

He was left gasping for air when Mitchell Starc send a rocket thudding into the England captain’s protective box. And it was completely destroyed, as Root called for some medical attention and a breather.

Root played on but was floored again by a quick in-swinger from Pat Cummins which thudded into his right thigh – leading to an even longer delay as he received treatment from the physio.

Cummins showed absolutely no mercy, immediately sending a bouncer Root’s way which crashed into the batsman’s gloves.

AUSSIES DON’T HEED THEIR OWN ADVICE

Steve Smith made some pointed comments about England’s short-pitched tactics after his double century, saying it played into his hands on the soft pitch – because it softened up the ball, took a bunch of wicket-taking methods out of play and, generally, wasn’t very effective.

Smith urged his bowlers to do one simple thing: aim for the top of off-stump.

However they, too, were drawn into the short stuff – peppering Rory Burns with more bouncers than he’d ever faced in Test cricket before.

Rory Burns has now faced 64 short balls in this innings. He's never faced more in a Test knock. #Ashes

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) September 6, 2019

Ultimately he fell to Josh Hazlewood to a delivery on a good length, nibbling away from the off-stump. The simple things can work.

ENGLAND FANS TEAR INTO LYON

Nathan Lyon could yet have a big say in the fourth Test, on a wearing pitch he stands the best chance to take a hatful of wickets, but that didn’t stop the England fans from laying the boot in as the afternoon session dragged on.

Throughout the lengthy three-and-a-half hour session Lyon was given Bronx cheers from the party stand every time he successfully caught the ball in the field – including when it was thrown to him at the top of his bowling mark.

It sent the commentators into a spin before it they worked out what was going on: it was a not-so-gentle reminder of Lyon’s costly fumble which allowed England to pull off the famous Headingley miracle.

Ever the larrikin, Lyon did his part for much of the afternoon – playfully tossing the ball in the air to himself for extra cheers.

Originally published as Mitchell Starc hits Joe Root where it hurts, latest Steve Smith ton and Nathan Lyon cops it from Barmy Army