Nathan Lyon’s two-wicket burst on Day 2 of the third Ashes test pushed him past Glenn McGrath to become the No. 2 wicket-taker in Australia’s history, while England’s batting faltered under relentless pressure.
Lyon’s Milestone and the Australian Attack
Australia resumed Day 2 at 326-8 and were bowled out for 371, with Mitchell Starc adding a half-century before Jofra Archer finished the innings with figures of 5-53-his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. The Australian bowlers and fielders spent most of the day on the field in temperatures hitting 40 °C (104 °F), but the heat seemed to target England skipper Ben Stokes.
Lyon was introduced for the 10th over and, at 38 years old, delivered immediate success: two wickets in four balls to remove Ollie Pope (3) and Ben Duckett (29) as England slipped to 42-3. Pope’s dismissal allowed Lyon to equal retired paceman McGrath’s career haul of 563 wickets. Lyon soon bowled Duckett with a drifting delivery that took out off-stump. TV coverage showed McGrath in a commentary booth pretending to throw a chair around in mock annoyance.
Only Shane Warne-who took 708 wickets in 145 Tests from 1992-2007-remains above Lyon on the Australia’s list of Test wicket-takers. “It’s pretty humbling,” Lyon said. It was a huge comeback for Lyon, who had bowled only two overs in Perth and was omitted from the lineup that won the second Test in Brisbane.
England’s Struggle and Cummins’ Return
England was coasting at 37-0 in reply until Cummins struck. Cummins was recovering from a back injury that had kept him out of the wins in Perth and Brisbane, which gave Australia a 2-0 series lead. In his first spell on return, he dismissed opener Zak Crawley (9) to trigger a top-order slide. By stumps, England had struggled to 213 for eight, still 158 behind.
Lyon took two wickets in his first over as England lost three wickets in 15 balls, leaving the side in a precarious position. The rest of the day proved difficult for England, which needs to bat long to revive its chances in this five-test series on an Adelaide Oval pitch that traditionally favors batting.
Stokes’ Herculean Innings
England needs victory in Adelaide to have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes, and is relying on a big performance from Stokes. He weathered all kinds of pressure after going to the crease at 71-4 when Cummins dismissed Joe Root. Stokes was hit on the side of the helmet by a 145 kph (90 mph) Starc bouncer, and a thick inside edge onto his thigh had him hopping around on 41, too.
“Ben obviously scrapped hard,” England’s assistant coach Marcus Trescothick said. “It’s almost like he focuses his best when … it’s really tricky and tough and it’s conditions or situations that other people don’t succeed in.” Stokes’ defiant, unbeaten 45 from 151 balls and his unbroken 45-run stand with No. 10 Archer (30) at least helped England’s innings go into another day.
Key Moments and DRS Drama
Cameron Green struck on his third delivery to end a 56-run fifth-wicket stand, getting the edge of Harry Brook’s bat with a ball that moved away. Brook scored 45 before he was out in the 37th over, adding just one run after getting a reprieve when he was given out caught behind off Lyon’s bowling but successfully reviewed the decision with the TV umpire.
There were more DRS dramas. Jamie Smith was on 16 when he appeared to glove a catch to Usman Khawaja in the slips. On-field umpires referred the catch to the TV umpire, who ruled it didn’t hit the glove or the bat before clipping Smith’s helmet and deemed it was not out. The Australians were in disbelief, with one player saying: “Snicko needs to be sacked.”
The next call went against England when Cummins got a thin edge from the toe of Smith’s bat as it carried to Carey. The on-field umpire gave it out, a decision confirmed by the TV umpire despite a seemingly indecisive spike as the ball went past the bat.
Takeaways
- Nathan Lyon surpassed Glenn McGrath to become the No. 2 wicket-taker in Australia’s Test history.
- England’s batting struggled, with Ben Stokes enduring heat, injuries, and DRS controversies.
- Pat Cummins returned from injury, taking early wickets and contributing to Australia’s dominant bowling performance.
The third Ashes test showcased a dramatic shift in momentum, with Australia’s bowlers re-establishing dominance while England’s batsmen fought under challenging conditions. Lyon’s milestone and Cummins’ resurgence underscore Australia’s strong position in the series, while England’s reliance on Stokes remains a critical factor for any chance of a comeback.
Closing
As the series progresses, the pressure mounts on England to adapt to a pitch that traditionally favors batting and to overcome the physical and psychological challenges faced by their key players. Australia’s bowling attack, highlighted by Lyon’s record-setting performance, continues to exert pressure, setting the stage for a decisive contest in the remaining Tests.
