Ashes: Flat Aussies open the door for England fightback

England’s fightback at the MCG was aided by Australia’s distracted batsmen and a bowling attack slowed by circumstance.

Australia captain Steve Smith drops a catch from England batsman Alastair Cook at the MCG yesterday

England’s attempts to bore ­Australia out of a Test match ­appear to be paying dividends, with the visitors’ bowlers swooping on a distracted opposition and its ­batsmen emboldened against an attack slowed by circumstance and conditions.

The gods have been kind to the opposition in the dead-rubber match. Mitchell Starc was injured before the game began, Pat ­Cummins was robbed of his pace and stamina yesterday by a ­stomach upset and three Australian batsmen, including the ­captain, conspired to drag wide balls onto their stumps. And then there is the MCG pitch, which is so slow the bouncer is not an option and the fear of it removed.

It might be a little late in the ­series for the opposition to be on the front foot, but they will presumably take what they can get. Alastair Cook did, belting Steve Smith for two boundaries in the last over of the day to bring up his first century of the series. His ­previous best had been 37 in the first innings at Adelaide.

Cook (104no) and Root (49no) had steered England to 2-192 at stumps in reply to Australia’s 327.

Nasser Hussain once noted that Ashes tours followed a predictable pattern: England would lose the first four and then steal one when the Australians were drunk. In more sober times it has taken more stealth and good ­fortune, but Joe Root’s side is in a surprisingly good position.

Australia’s batting was poor on the second day. Steve Smith, who had not been dismissed in a Test at this venue since 2014, was on 76 and motoring toward another ­predictably impressive total, when the unthinkable happened.

Test debutant Tom Curran’s only claim to fame to this point of his career was being denied the wicket of David Warner because of a no-ball the previous day. The South African-born bowler had apparently shrugged off the misfortune and said he would ensure Smith was his first Test wicket and so it proved to be.

Eight overs into the day the Australian captain threw his bat at one and became the first of three batsmen to drag the ball on to his stumps. For a moment the MCG witnessed a stunned silence reminiscent of the one that descended on Indian arenas when Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket fell.

Soon after Smith departed, Mitch Marsh angled a bat at a delivery from Chris Woakes and was out bowled off the inside edge. A similar shot had raced through backward point for four some balls earlier. The coaching staff will be able to play both side by side to ­instruct the disappointed allrounder where he went wrong. Brother Shaun broke the run when trapped in front by Stuart Broad, before Tim Paine’s attempted pull shot off the bowling of Chris Woakes ­cannoned into his stumps.

The first day had been a struggle, but when Australia resumed on 3-244 with Smith and Shaun Marsh at the crease a score of 450 seemed reasonable. Losing 7-83 on a wicket was not to be foreseen, particularly against a side that has not taken 20 wickets in any of the previous attacks.

The dismissal of Smith in such a mundane manner was not the only surprise of the day. Stuart Broad taking four wickets and Cook passing 50 for the first time in the series were not events you would bank on. Broad had not taken a scalp since the first innings in Adelaide. The former captain made the most of a limited Australian attack on a slow, flat deck.

To add to the list of things going wrong for the home team, Smith managed to drop Cook at first slip. It was a difficult chance off the bowling of Mitchell Marsh.

Cook and Root both made the most of ideal conditions before and after tea. Cummins had been on his haunches before the break and after it bowled in the low to mid-130km/h range before again leaving the field.

Nathan Lyon revealed later that the young bowler had spent the tea break asleep in the rooms.

“He will see the doctor tonight and get some fluid on board and hopefully have a good night’s sleep so he can come back tomorrow morning,” the spinner said after play. “Hats off to him for the effort he’s put in for us today.”

Cook’s six innings before ­yesterday had produced just 73 runs at an average of 12. He hadn’t suddenly forgotten how to bat in those three outings but had looked hesitant about getting forward against the genuine pace of Hazlewood, Starc and Cummins.

The former captain has struggled, locked back in his crease waiting for the bouncer, but with it rendered irrelevant by the drop dead drop-in wicket he was able to get on the front foot and profit.

Broad revealed after the game he was disappointed with his approach in Perth and worked hard to get it right for this game. “Australia have been very good here. We were obviously disappointed to lose in Perth but you’ve still got a huge amount to play for,” he said. “You can see the Barmy Army are still singing out there and there’s a lot of people have come over to support us and you can see how much hunger is in this team, how hard we worked in the warm-up days and these first two days has been very special,” he said.