Test Match Special - The Ashes: England on the brink in Brisbane

Episode Date: December 6, 2025

All the reaction to a dominant day for Australia in Brisbane as England stare at a 2-0 series deficit. Coach Marcus Trescothick talks to the pod, and defends England’s approach and preparation.

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listen to Football Daily on Spotify to Football Daily on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts This is the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 live Start staying round the wicket Root when has he got an edge on that

he's driven at it but I think the bat's on the ground and oh he's gone straight up here There's a bit here. When we see Snicko, there's a big spike. And Root has to go. England's most likely man to be able to withstand this onslaught this evening has gone. So after three days of this test match, Australia are closing in on victory with England 134 for six. Stokes and Jacks are at the crease.

And England losing six wickets under the lights. in that final session after they made a good start to their second innings, 45 for No Wickey in a small session just before the second break of the day. But after that, Australia continued their dominance and they batted so well and so sensibly and so carefully in the first part of the day, taking their first inning score to 511. Mitchell's start, their leading scorer, with 77 of 141 balls. And he got really good support, well, from everyone, really,

because all the Australia players made it to double figure. Scott Boland, 21 not out from 72 balls. He hung in there and he just extended Australia's first innings and it meant that when England came out to bat, they were batting under lights. That was the plan. They executed it superbly and even Brendan Doggett in at number 11 hung around for 13.

Brian Castor at 4 for 152. Ben Stokes, 3 for 113. But England looked like a beaten side. I've got Michael Vaughn with me. I've got Jonathan Agney with me. Glenn McGrath is here. First to you, Michael. I'll sum up that day.

How did you see it? Australia has given England a lesson in how to play test cricket. And particularly pink ball test cricket this morning with all the afternoon session. When Australia went out to bat, it was very clear that we're just batting for time, just batting for real attritional time, making sure that they took the game a little bit deeper. Mitchell Start played great. ducked and weaved kind of rotated the strike Scott Bowling comes out there and just blocks it

knowing that they wanted to get to this stage of getting the pink ball with the twilight and then into the last session so brilliant from Australia England's tactics weren't quite right didn't quite get it right when to bring the fielders in when to kind of spread the field the bat and they've had some good balls Bend Duck had a beauty one that kept low

Joe Root looked a little bit jaded understandably Harry Brooke got a good ball the two dismissals of Ollie Pope and Zach Crawley I think as commentators and pundits and broadcasters it's so easy to kind of be a pundit against him because you can just watch it and see it and you go

it's going to happen you know Nica's going to bowl length just outside of off-stump bowling's going to bowl length just outside of off-stump starts just going to dangle the carrot and guess what they're going to try and do they're going to try play big drives through the offside and both of them to fall to the same stroke back to the same bowler

in the space of not a great deal of time and when you look to what Australia did with the bat in hand in the afternoon session and into that middle session digging, digging, back for time and that's exactly what that pair needed to do just back till the close of play just give, look, they're a long way behind but just give yourself a glimmer tomorrow,

you just never know, but this one way of playing and this ultra-aggressive drive on the up at all costs when the ball's just doing a little bit it doesn't work it doesn't work consistently against the better sides and Australia have given England an exhibition today of how to play the pink ball game

yeah they suddenly went from 90 for 1 to 97 for 3 they're under so much pressure Jonathan well I think Michael was right first time before he corrected himself to pink ball I think they've given themselves a lesson how to play test cricket actually you have to be flexible you have to think you have to have common sense you have to change the way that you play

session by session sometimes and so I think you know a pink ball or red ball, I think that's got an object lesson today in intelligent cricket. You could throw in the white ball game at the minute actually with England in the last year because they haven't played sensible whiteball cricket for a while.

I think they've just been given an object lesson in what they should be doing. It's just, yeah, it's just incredibly deflating disappointing to sit and watch England making the same mistakes and you're right, Michael, you could predict entirely how certain players are going to get out

that's what's disappointing and that those players don't seem to be learning and I was saying a breakfast to date to whoever was gathered around and I was probably boring to death about it but the fact is that none of these players are being put under any pressure by anybody else in the squad

there is no culpability there is no ramification there's no question of anybody being dropped apart from Pope who's got Bethel in the wings he's not scoring any runs either there's nobody else There is nobody to put pressure on any of these players. So you just go out and bat as you want to play.

I mean, you know, there should be a system. There should be a selection in which these players are being put under pressure. If you fail, time and again, doing the same thing, you're gone. Sorry, you have to, you've dropped. They haven't had quite the status of what they've had in the last two weeks, which has been a bit of humiliation. to be humiliated in that second day in Perth and today and yesterday

Australia have just dominated two days of cricket from England having a decent day on day one where we all got a bit excited within two days Australia have gone okay we'll show you how to bat in test match cricket and then we'll show you how to bowl and we must remember that this England side and the players that you talk about

John you know they've been picked consistently because they've played the style of cricket but they've never been in this situation where they've gone two nil down really badly in 2020, it was at the start of the journey, it was almost like a three hit, a Mulligan in 23 because it was just started, it was fresh and everyone was excited.

Now we've seen it, and England have had four years to plan for this. This is what they've been planning for with their bowling attack, with their batting unit. They've stuck with certain players because they felt that in Australian conditions they were going to be able to get away with the way that they've played.

Well, so far inside, five days of Ashley's Test Match cricket here in Australia, I'm afraid it's not looking great for a few of the players and as Jonathan says there's just no spare keeper so you know Jamie Smith I think's a wonderful talent but he's struggling and I start

to look at Ben Duckett who looks scratchy you know he's starting to look a little bit edgy at the top you've got Olly Pope who is is all over the place once again and you know you can't just keep dipping into Joe Roots well you can't keep saying go on Joe go and get us another 100 because it's just not possible and you know look at Harry Brook today I thought he tried today he tried to play

and then he gets a good ball so that's fine that happens in test match cricket but I really worry about the psychological damage that these last two days will not only have done for the batters, but in particular the bowlers that have had so much time out there, it just didn't look like they were going to get wickets. But can they keep going out and playing the same way, Michael? No, they're going to get hammered.

Well, exactly. So surely there has to be a rethink of the way that they go. Well, if you look at, so Jerry is our greatest player. You know, you tell me in the system when they pick teams, which kind of player if they pick that you go oh you know

that's a Joe Root star player most of the players that they pick whether it's for the Lions or particularly in the England squad

they like dashes they like players that can get on with it you know run towards the danger put the bowler under pressure

at all cost in my time I'm not saying that they want to go the ultra attritional ways you know putting the baller

under pressure is sometimes seeing the baller off you know that's absorbing pressure not by hitting them to the boundary and dancing

down and whacking it over extra I can only imagine in what Glenn McGraw would have liked to bowl to this England side. Just dangle the carrot, dangle the carrot. It's just not possible to play this style of cricket

against quality ball. And let's just mention, this Australian team have got over a thousand wickets not playing. This is their second stream. It is absolutely second string. Glenn, is this an easy England side to outmaneuver? I look at it from two

different angles here. I agree with everything that's been said here. The style of play, I love seeing sports people go out and play without fear. But when you're trying to get rid of pressure, you've got to absorb and play under pressure and there's got to be accountability. Accountability from, you know, team,

from the support staff, the coaching staff, but accountability from yourself and from within the team. And that's where I think it's a little bit lacking. They go out. There's no negativity. So that, firstly, I'm not a big fan of and sort of they need to adapt and adjust to the conditions. That was the first thing.

You've mentioned that best opportunity to beat Australia, the first test. All of a sudden you come here, three of the main bowlers aren't even bought, oh, best opportunity, and yet they're so far behind. But what today this test showed is their inexperience in playing pink ball cricket, day night cricket. Day one, in that last session, I think it was probably worked in Australia's favour that Joffra Archer didn't get out. You know, they got 60 runs, probably more than what Australia wanted,

but it meant the Australian batsman didn't have to go out and bat a nasty half an hour session or more in those conditions. Could have easily lost two or three wickets and all of a sudden Australia's under the pump. And today the intensity when England bowled, there was no intensity. You know, Mitchell Stark's batting, they've got guys back on the boundary. They didn't realize how important to get those last few wickets as early as possible. They had to knock them over before that first break. If they did that, then the pink ball gets older and you get into that night session, which we saw tonight. It's softer.

It's not doing as much. It's not quite as effective. So the intensity they showed to take those last, especially the last two wickets, was missing. So there's a lot of issues. Yeah, you can keep saying, oh, this is a style we play. We're changing test cricket. How good are we? But it'll come down to the results on the board.

And if England lose this test match and they go two nil down, it's a long way. back. This series could be quite a finish and then they're going to have to look at themselves. They're going to be some changes so it's going to be interesting to see what happens from here. How well did Australia bowl in that session on the lights? No, they bow well. They came out

even before that last session it looked a little bit easier. It was coming on nicely but that pink ball you have to get the lacquer off. It actually then it starts doing a little bit but then when they came out after that final session it's dark it's just about hitting good areas.

There's enough inconsistency in that pitch. We saw the way, you know, Duck, it was unlucky. That one kept low, you know, Crawley and Pope, the way they got off those ball just holding in the pitch. Yeah, just a little bit too-paced. It's a little bit up and down. There's a little bit more movement than what we've seen this whole test under lights with the newer ball.

So Australia bowl, well, they kept it simple. They bowled to a plan. They bowled to the conditions, and it's paid off for it. Well, there used to be something called a Duncan Day when England had had a bad day and Duncan Fletcher was the coach so he was wheeled out it's a Marcus Day

that's a Marcus Truscothic A Trez Day Yeah, Trez Day He's the England assistant coach And he's been speaking with Henry Moran How do you sum up the situation? Yeah, not ideal, was it? We're in a bit of a predicament really

We've got to find a way in the morning to come out strong and get a partnership going. Obviously, hopefully, well, the sun's out and try and utilise as much as we can with the guys who are left in the shed. So, you know, get up the level of their total and then see what we can post

to obviously try and get ourselves in a position and try and win the game. There was quite some battlement from many about England's bowling tactics today. Can you talk us through the plans? Well, the plans are simple, isn't there? I think whether we executed the plans in terms of what we wanted to do,

probably not as much as we have done in other games and in other sessions or other series that we've played. So, you know, it's something that we can always improve on and obviously be better. You know, plans are very different compared to how you execute them. So if you don't hit the areas that you need to hit, then of course, obviously, it makes it quite challenging. That partnership between Scott Ball and Mitchell Stark particularly was challenging. How does the team rise itself in that situation? Because it felt like the game and the deflation at that point. was significant.

Yeah, that's tough. You know, when they get partnerships going, obviously you're in the heat and you're starting to get ahead of the game. Of course that's really tough. The bowlers are getting tired. The ball's quite soft at that point. It's tough. Yeah, that is challenging.

Obviously, they played really well and put themselves in a position, a strength really going into our second Indians. And of course, something that we can try and emulate as much as we can do whenever we play against them or learn from what they tried to do. So, you know, a couple of their guys played well. got good partnerships. We maybe didn't bowl quite as well as we needed to and we're in the position we are. You speak about learning, but it feels as though there's some familiar dismissals, chasing wide deliveries, two court in bowls as well. What do you put it down to?

I don't think really chasing many wide ones today. I think, you know, I thought they bowed well and we've nicked a couple of balls and it is what it is. But, you know, our game is very much like we're trying to apply pressure to opposition. There's no doubt about that. And we do it well at times and other times, you know, when it comes off in the wrong way and it goes against us and of course it's challenging but caught and balls happen. I don't think there's another way you can say right that's part of bad play or bad sort of technique or what you're trying to do. I think it's just sometimes they do happen. We've had a couple in this game and one obviously in the last game. But we can always be better. We can always improve our style of play and be

smarter at different times, different occasions and we're always looking to do that. This always felt as though this was going to be, if you like, the project's big test this tour. We're barely five days in and there's problems. What do you put it down to? Well, we've just not been good enough and long enough probably in different areas. We need to score more runs. We need to take more wickets as even as simple as that. Be disciplined when we bowl.

Be discipline when we battle. All the different things that come along in different games of cricket. You know, the pitch at Perth was very different to what we had here. took one very special innings from the opposition to, you know, to challenge and win the game that they did. And obviously here, you know, we thought we had a good total, just probably didn't quite get things right going into it in the last couple of days. And just finally, preparation has been a word that has been discussed an awful lot and a lot of practice in the nets, a lot of time. Facing big balls, if you like, in that situation is one thing. But it is another thing being out in the middle and the effort and the time.

and those hours upon hours of intense cricket out in the middle. Is that a worry that England haven't had that much of it coming into this series? No, not at all. Not for me. I think the way that it's done, preparation nowadays, is not done necessarily by playing three shield games as it would be here. Like going back in the years gone before, tours are a lot more condensed. Cricket is a lot more condensed nowadays.

It's the same when Australia come to England. It's the same when India go to England. It's when we go to opposition countries. we do exactly the same so there's no real difference it's just the way it is fair enough we haven't played obviously the the quality of cricket we wanted to but it's not down to our preparation and what would you say to england fans who are understandably disappointed oh listen i think you know great support again we really cherish obviously the support that they come with and obviously give us as much as they can um you know we've been put on the back

foot and we haven't quite managed to sort of be the way we needed to be and we've done it well in different stages but just probably not for long enough so stick with it, keep enjoying it. Obviously it's a great country and they love their cricket here. The atmosphere has been amazing hopefully we can sort of make it better and be better in the next couple of games and tomorrow.

Marcus, thanks for your time. Really appreciate it. Thanks. Marcus Droskothic, the England assistant coach speaking to Henry Rand, just something there that just picked up, just a small phrase, we thought we had a good score on the first day. Did you think that, Michael? I thought it was okay.

I thought it was decent. I heard that England thought they had a good score in Perth as well to defend. Well, you've never got enough in Australia. I sometimes listen to a lot of the kind of messaging from within the England camp and I'm baffled. I mean, clearly you've got to come out and be positive. Clearly, you've got to come out and protect everything that's happened. There's no way in a million years that preparation's been right.

There's no way in a million years that not playing games of cricket has been the right thing to prepare to play against this Australia. inside with the pink ball. Especially in the pink ball. Especially with the pink ball. It's just can't be right that you've got players that are playing their first ever pink ball game in an ashes series when you wander down away in Australia.

That just can't be right. There's a lot of messaging from within the England camp of positivity and I think that's the kind of vibe that they have around the group. They need a bit of realism. They need a little bit of sense that someone might just be able to say to them, look, everything that you're

doing is not always right. it's not always right I never knew that we got preparation right I never knew that we'd pick the right team and I don't think they've got the selections wrong but it's impossible and I heard it before this game said our preparation's fine it's perfect no it's not it can't be perfect

you're absolutely getting hammered you know and you've got players who are out there who are looking completely shell shot against the pink ball because they're playing against it for the first time dropping catches because you haven't been out in the field facing the pink ball so don't tell

me that the preparation is spot on and perfect it can't be because you're just about to go two and all down in an ashish series so i do get a bit worried that the messaging always has to be positive and it always has to be we're right we're right none of us are always right do you think that's just public facing though that internally there is some criticism no i think that's what they believe i think they've got everything spot on and they're doing everything correctly um look if they're doing everything correctly um we're about to go two no down in the space of pretty much three days of Ashish cricket and two days in Perth, I think we've got big concerns.

Yeah, I mean, look, it's a horrible job to come out and try and defend the indefensible but preparation, and the question of preparation has become just like don't mention the war, isn't it? I mean, it sort of lights a flare up as soon as preparations mentioned. They're clearly absolutely determined that they are not going to give an inch as far as the debate about preparation is concerned. That was the most robust answer that he was. gave, nothing wrong with that preparation. Well, the results will speak

for themselves. The other thing, by the way, he said, look, what's been going wrong? Well, we haven't been scoring enough runs, we haven't been taking enough wickets. All he didn't mention there was we've been dropping too many catches. I mean, he would have the whole lot and that would be an accurate reflection on what's gone wrong. And I totally get

that you're not going to play three games. I certainly don't want them to play three games. Nobody's ever suggested playing three games. No, but, you know, booking the whack of the week before the first test in Perth, like, India did. I think that's a mistake that England didn't book the wacker. If you can only have a game amongst yourselves, at least practice on a pitch that bounces. In between the first game and the second game, if you're not going to go to Canberra and play a two-ball, pink-ball game because of the weather and the conditions,

couldn't they have organised one here in Brisbane? So you play a two-ball, pink-ball game in Brisbane conditions. I mean, is that not sensible? The point about preparation also, and the answers to it, if you ask me, is because the ramifications of admitting that they're got it wrong, but it's pretty serious for a number of that coaching staff. If they say, yep, we got it wrong, and we're losing the ashes and so on, because we didn't

prepare properly. We didn't do it properly. We didn't put the structure in place to prepare properly. They can't admit it. I mean, the review will come afterwards and decisions that we made about... And also, I guess, you can't say, oh, India do this, or Australia. It's about this toolbox

that England have. And I've given this set of players the best opportunity, and they've got all the And we've all said, we think this is the best England side that's come to Australia with the right tools to be successful. Have they? They've looked themselves in the mirror and say to themselves, we've given this team the absolute best chance to be successful here in Australia in the first game in Perth and now the second game with the pink ball here in Brisbane. And they get a message back saying, yet we've been spot on, I'd be wary if that's the answer.

Glenn, just from an Australian perspective, I mean, do you think that, you know, this Australian have surprised you a bit than what they've been able to achieve in the first two games. You know, they've had players missing. England came here seemingly confident. You know, they've been, they have been winning series,

they have been winning matches, they have been playing in this particular way. How do you think we'll assess that, you know, from Australia, what you expected from them? Yeah, I think the biggest thing that surprised me is the way they've come out and batted. From the first innings, they look timid, they look

defensive. They were trying to survive with the bat. They weren't looking to put the intense, you know, put the pressure back on the bowling attack. But the way they came out and batted in that second inning, so the fact that Travis had put his hand up and said, I want to open and I will

take the first ball. And he was adamant. That's what he wanted. I've heard that's what he wanted back when Steve Smith was promoted to opening. So this is what he wanted. And that intensity has changed from that moment. The scoring rates that the Australians have done or did in Perth and have done here, that surprised me

because they haven't been scoring at that, at those rates previously. And whether that's because Travis Head's come at the top and it's had that sort of impact, positive impact on the rest of their batsmen, they go out and they back themselves and play their shots more bat positively, play to their strengths, wait for the, for the balls to play the shots too. Fair enough, England bowlers have given them plenty of balls to play those shots too. So the intensity of the batting and the positivity of their batting

has surprised me a little bit. And yeah, there's been a lot of talk that this was England's best chance in Perth and it was. And then again, here, it was. And they've been found wanting in both times. Yeah, the game's not over. You know, Australia went into today's place

six wickets down and they batted nearly right the way through to T. So it can be done with the right attitude out there, right game. plan prepared to work hard. We'll see what happens tomorrow. You know, if England lose a couple of quick wickets, this could be over,

could lose by innings. But you've got to think this, you know, it's not over until that last week it's taken that last run scored. Yeah, true. You're still in the game with your five now, aren't you? Well, still in the game, yeah? Yeah, but I'm adaptable.

So if something happened and Australia lost the game, I could be adaptable and flexible and work my new prediction. But at the moment, it's still a chance. And the funny, I don't know if it's a funny thing, but after Perth, walking around all the English fans, everyone was coming up, oh, your prediction's going to be right, oh, it's 5,0, it's 5. And now at breakfast here, you know, tomorrow morning or after, it'll be exactly the same, oh, Glenn, your prediction 5,0 is going to be right.

So it's, I don't know if it's just the English mentality or attitude, but yeah, it's still, you know, Australia has showed, you know, how you have to apply yourself. and this pitch will be different tomorrow morning to what it is now. They're going to have to work hard. They're big, you know, responsibility on Stokes, which, you know, there's no better man for it. And Jacks have to, has to get it there and do it too. So they've got a big battle in front of them tomorrow morning,

but they have to show some fight. If, you know, if they just, you know, lose these four wickets, go out with a wimper, then the series is done. Now, Michael Nisa joined this Australian side for this test match. And he picked up two valuable wickets tonight, both caught and bold. And he's been speaking to Corbyn, Middlemast, and our colleagues on ABC Radio. Michael, first of all, congratulations. Yeah, thank you. Thank you.

So you get two wickets, the first of them caught and bold, Olly Pope out. And essentially up until stumps, England lost five for 44 from that particular stage. How did you do it? Yeah, I know. We just seem to get wickets at the right time, especially at night time, things to move, move real fast and Starkey put on a show there and supported by Bowling, who bowled fantastically. You bowled fantastically too. You're able to get two wickets, both caught and bold. I think Rick Finlay did the stats for us during the night. You haven't got too many

caught and bolds, have you, in your career? And yet you're able to pick up a couple there at test level as a way to get involved in the match. Yeah, I dropped that first one and I was like, bugger, I better catch the next two. But I haven't got too many. But the way I was bowling, stumped to stump, is I'm always in for a chance for a court and bold. So I was Looking for it. And just on that one, you mentioned the drop catch. You looked at your left hand a lot after that. Did you cop any injury as a result of it?

Yeah, my track record with broken fingers isn't great. So it's a little bit sore, but it'll be alright. Wow. So is it broken? No, it'll be right. No, they're right. Ness, what were the discussions at Tee, mate? Because obviously you and Starkey took the new ball for that little period before T.

They got off to a little bit of a fly. Was there an adjustment there or a discussion in the change rooms? Yeah, definitely. He probably went searching a bit too much. a bit full, try to do a bit too much. We know if we just hold our length, they'll come at us and give us the chances. So after tea, we were really cooped,

and I think we did that well. We just held our length and went back to test cricket or being patient. And is there enough on that length that you talk about to just in that particular last session under the lights?

100%. It seems to do nothing, nothing, and then all of a sudden, you get enough balls in the right area. It seems to either jag or kick. We saw Bowen at the end there. just got the ball to talk, and so did Starkey. And then conversely, in the morning session, or the first session,

sorry, 2 o'clock, it seems to be a little bit slower? Yeah, definitely. I think also we started with that softer ball. The harder ball seems to pick a little bit, but not as much as the night time. So you definitely have to capitalize on these night sessions. The heat, obviously, during the day, so it felt like you guys did a great job at being able to avoid.

Boyd as much time out there as possible. And Mitchell Stark in particular, boy, did he, didn't he bat well. Yeah, the whole plan today was try to keep them out as long as possible. Get into that night session with the harder ball. And he did a fantastic job on that patience. And then supported by Boland, who did, I think, underrated how well he went. The role he played was fantastic. Sorry, mate.

And the batty was, I mean, obviously you took him on a bit yesterday or last night. Was that a plan or just happened like that? It just happened. I know for myself I've got to look to be positive, not reckless, but positive because that gets me in better positions for defense. I think Kez is a very, the same mould. Yeah, you're both mad. More importantly, how are the twins?

Yeah, they're making me mad. They two now, and my eldest is four, he's in the crowd, he's wide awake still, so he's going to be a gremlin tomorrow morning. Lucky, I don't have to deal with that. Michael Nisa speaking after his two wickets to the ABC commentary team into the team this match just picking up something he said there that we know that if our plans go a bit right we just go back to the plan we kind of just bowl that length and we know they'll come at us and give us an

opportunity it's so straightforward they know it and it kind of sometimes feels as if England don't know it and they fall into the trap so easily and hezaltzman is with me Australia's innings was curious. They executed their plan perfectly today, and Mike O'Neice is saying it there, that they had that plan to back well into the afternoon, they executed it perfectly.

But it was a curious Australian innings. Everyone made double figures. No one made more than 77, and yet they made 511. You know, they all say, you know, if you get in, go big. Well, none of the Australian players did go big, but collectively they did. Yes, and you compare it with England's first innings,

the number of failures they had four ducks, and I think three more scores under 20, whereas Australia, looking down there, scores 33, 72, 65, 61, 41, 45, 63, 23, 16, 77, 21, not out, and 13. It's a unique scorecard in that there's never been a test innings in which all 11 players have made at least 13. It's a bit of a niche stat. If Doggett had made 15, it would have been neater. But still, that shows quite how unusual this is. only the second time that a team has made 500 without someone scoring at least 80 and there were no hundred partnerships as well only the fourth innings in test history

in which a team scored 500 without a single 100 stand what else caught your eye today well from England's point of view more disappointment with the bat ollie pope this is 14th innings against Australia still waiting for his first 50 only two specialist batters in English history have ever started their Ash's career with more innings without reaching 50 at least once. Graham Gooch also didn't score a 50 in his first 14 innings and the things picked up for him after that

although Assey's record wasn't as good as the rest of his career but it's becoming a significant problem for England. Jamie Smith's recent form, 79 runs in his last eight innings. He'd average 58 in his first 21 before that brilliant start to his career. Zach Crawley, yet more unconverted starts. Since his 189 at Old Trafford, I made that the 14th time he's reached 40. Only 100, that was against Zimbabwe and one other score over 80.

So it's been just the same problems keep recurring, the same sorts of shots. And Mitchell Stark, once again, having an incredible impact on this series. 77 with the bat to add to his 6 for 75. In the history of Ashes cricket, only three other parts. players. All Australians have had a first innings Fifea and a first inning score over 75 and the most recent of those was in 1963. So, and he's added two more wickets to his tally.

So he's now 18 for the series, the most in the first two tests of an ashes since Shane Warn had 20 after two tests in the 1994-95 series. And, yeah, if he picks up another couple, he's going to be very near the top of the all-time list. Most wickets in the first two tests of a of an ashes. Two more will be the most by a seamer at this stage of an asses since 1953. Okay, thanks very much. And there are plenty of ways to catch up with the action. Clips available

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