Warner’s Ashes nightmare rolls on

David Warner’s return to Test cricket has put the one-time dynamo in the crosshairs after a Lord’s failure.

David Warner is bowled by Stuart Broad at Lord's during day two of the second Test

David Warner’s nightmare return to Test cricket has put the one-time dynamo in the crosshairs after a Lord’s failure undid a day of brilliant bowling from his Australian teammates.

Bowled by Stuart Broad for just three late in the day, Warner took his run tally to 13 in this Ashes campaign, having lasted only 39 balls in three innings after two single figure efforts in the first Test at Edgbaston.

The 32-year-old, who was a powerhouse in the World Cup after his 12-month ban, was out to Broad for the third straight time. His pursuit of a first-ever hundred in England will have to go behind the pursuit of a double-figure score in the series.

Warner and fellow opener Cameron Bancroft had an hour to bat after Australia rolled England for 258 following a bold decision from captain Tim Paine to bowl when he won the day-two toss.

Left by his partner, Bancroft (five not out) survived a withering first spell in Test cricket from Jofra Archer and with a scratchy Usman Khawaja (18 not out) took Australia to 1-30 at stumps.

A shortened match was key to the aggressive decision to bowl first knowing the only way to win, and go up 2-0, was to take 20 English wickets, a job made easier if they got to work at that first.

Josh Hazlewood was impeccable from the outset and took the first three English wickets including opener Jason Roy with just his third ball having been reinserted in to the team at the expense of James Pattinson.

Roy, who could struggle to see out the series, wafted at his first ball, played and missed his second, then edged the third to Paine behind the stumps.

England were 3-96 when Hazelwood dismissed Joe Denly with a perfect delivery after lunch and the home team could have been in all sorts if not for two dropped catches, both off the bowling of Peter Siddle.

But England’s luck didn’t last and they were 6-138 when both Pat Cummins (3-61) and Nathan Lyon (3-68) got in on the action.

Lyon equalled Australian legend Dennis Lillee with 355 Test wickets when he had England’s last hope Jonny Bairstow caught on the boundary,

Cummins was as brutal as Hazlewood was brilliant too, bowling a menacing spell of short stuff that saw him ram one in to helmet of Chris Woakes, having earlier rattled opener Rory Burns.

England’s top six average of 26.07 runs-per-dismissal in Test cricket this year is it’s worst since 1950.

They collapsed despite stats from CricViz revealing the Australians produced the least amount of swing in the first 20 overs of a Lord’s Test for more than a decade.

The pitch was slower than expected too, with several edges failing to carry to the slips.

But having taken the risk to bowl first and with next to no help from the pitch, the Australians put themselves in a position to attack with the wicket likely to be better for batting on day three.