Ashes second Test: England swing back into action

Steve Smith may live to regret his follow-on decision after England roared back into the second Test with some superb swing bowling.

Nathan Lyon dives to pouch a screamer off his opposite number Moeen Ali, who went for 25, during day three of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide. Picture: AFP

They couldn’t, could they? Well, if they can’t nobody told them. And, if they do, Steve Smith will live all his life regretting not enforcing the follow-on.

Swings and roundabouts have allowed England back into a Test match they had all but played themselves out of leading into the last session of the third day.

With a lead of 215 and the evening arrived, Steve Smith opted not to enforce the follow-on, ignoring the most dangerous session in a day-night cricket, but wary of the fact he has only three seamers and a spinner. No allrounder.

England had shown no hint of life to this moment in the game, but given a pink ball and perfect conditions they exploited swing, seam and the insanity of cricket at such hours to give themselves a sniff.

James Anderson, who had shown next to nothing, bowled 11 extraordinary overs that will live for a long time in the memory of those that saw them. His 2-16, aided and abetted by Chris Woakes (2-13) was phenomenal.

Cameron Bancroft, David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith were all accounted for with just 50 runs added to the score and went to stumps at 4-53.

Australia’s captain could face scrutiny after his decision not to enforce the follow-on. Picture: Getty Images

Australia have a lead of 268 with six wickets remaining. With Peter Handscomb and Nathan Lyon at the wicket, they will be hoping that a pink ball that swung like a pendulum will present a tad less challenge this afternoon. England, however, will arrive with a sniff of blood in their nostrils.

Australian paceman Mitchell Starc said the home side was still feeling confident of victory.

“We’ve still got a lead of 260 and there’s two night sessions to go,” he said. “Once the sun comes out tomorrow it’s the easiest time to bat, through the day. There’s a lot of batting in the shed. There’s no reason why we can’t build a really big lead and have England on the ropes in the night session.”

SCOREBOARD

Starc defended Smith’s decision to bat again.

“It was purely up to Smithy. That’s why he’s the captain,” he said. “There’s pros and cons to both decisions. We’ll give our bowlers a bit of extra time to freshen up and come out firing for that second innings.”

When play ended, a side that had shown only the faintest of vital signs for much of the match was rampant, rumbunctious and raring to go one more round. The difference in fortunes and fate were as stark as the difference between day and night. What took over 80 overs on the first two days took just 24 in perfect conditions. People will say Smith should have backed his bowlers to do the same, that England would be out of the series if he had. Earlier they had seem gone for all money.

Joe Root observed after Brisbane that his men had played well, if not better, than Australia across the first three days of the opening Test. That they lost the match by 10 wickets early on the fifth day showed how rapidly their fortunes changed.

Since that early effort, England had put in the best part of six poor days of cricket. Their bowlers managed four wickets, including a run out, with conditions in their favour on the first day in Adelaide and only a couple more on the second. (Pat Cummins’ scalp was obtained in junk time and can only be technically given to the bowler.)

Coach Trevor Bayliss said after the declaration on day two in ­Adelaide that he thought his bowlers had bowled well after a poor start. He also defended the decision to bowl on winning the toss.

You can’t judge a wicket until both sides bat on it, but the fact ­England sent down 149 overs to take seven wickets while Australia’s bowlers took 53 to do the same tells you much about the batting and bowling efforts of both sides. There is a rising sense that ­England gives it all early and when it proves not enough they have no more to give. In Adelaide, as in Brisbane, the bowling attack has its moments before falling away sharply.

Everything the visitors do, the hosts do better. Moeen Ali was singularly ineffective with the ball in the first innings of this match, but Bayliss says he is not bothered by a finger injury.

His counterpart Nathan Lyon does not contribute as much with the bat but his bowling is streets ahead of Moeen’s.

Yesterday the offspinner pulled off a spectacular caught and bowled to dismiss his opposite number among a haul of 4-60. The diving, outstretched effort was reminiscent of the catch he took to complete a five-wicket haul on debut in Sri Lanka six years ago.

Shortly afterwards Starc chipped in with two caught and bowled, including a remarkable reflex catch, on the second grab, to dismiss Jonny Bairstow.

Lyon’s caught and bowled took him past Ravi Ashwin’s 53 wickets for the calendar year despite the Australian playing two fewer Tests.