England batting collapse - they’ve slid from 206/3 to 242 all out in response to Pakistan’s 378.
Over in Colmobo in the Sobers/Tissera Trophy, 2nd test, Windies have bowled Sri Lanka out for 206 and will chase 244 to win. Its a very tricky turning wicket and Sri Lanka should have enough of a lead.
Jos buttler fails again. Can’t adapt to test cricket.
Pakistan won the test today. Finally got the last English wicket with about six overs left. A brave rearguard action by Rashid who was last out for 61, Broad and Mark Wood. England beat themselves in this one.
Will be interesting to see if they make some changes. Ali as an opener does not work, Bell’s confidence is gone and Jos Buttler is a walking wicket. Unlikely they will make three changes but conceivably they could have Hales opening, Moeen back at 8. Rashid or Stokes dropped. Taylor in for Bell and Bairstow keeping wicket instead of Buttler. Would be harsh to drop Rashid though.
England batted for 137.3 overs and fell just 6.3 overs short of saving the test. Think it was possibly the longest a side has batted for in a 4th innings of a test and lost. Ultimately, yet again it was the top order batting that cost England this test. Old long running problems not any closer to a resolution.
The only batsmen making runs are Cook and Root. Won’t win a lot that way.
England 46/2 at stumps on Day chasing 284 to win the 3rd test and square the series. Will be a tall order.
Some more test action getting under way tonight. Australia v New Zealand at the Gabba and India v South Africa in Mohali.
The England test has been swinging one way and then another. England threw away a great position yesterday morning when they resumed on 220-4. Taylor didn’t build on the great start from the previous day. Then they bowled poorly especially the spinners. 280 is probably too much to get from 42-2 and Stokes too injured to bat effectively. Moeen flashed around a bit and was out. Bell went for a duck. You would expect more from a senior player. Most infuriating.
However…if Cook and Root hang around tomorrow morning there could be an interesting afternoon’s cricket. I think that they will fall short though.
Australia win the toss and will bat at the Gabba. Starts at midnight.
That will be hard going for England to post that on the final day.
Good start for Australia here, 85/0 after 22, Warner just hit a six off Bracewell, then a boundary for his fifty. Joe Burns looking good as the other opener. If they don’t lose a wicket before lunch, they’ll be very happy. Khawaja at 3, Smith 4, Voges 5 (he’ll be given this series and would expect to score runs on home territory, but if he fails he’ll have a very short test career, he’s 35 years old), then Mitch March and Nevill the keeper. Josh Hazlewood is preferred over Peter Siddle, alongside Starc and Johnson, with Lyon.
This promises to be a very good series, you’d expect Australia to win at the Gabba, 2nd Test at the WACA on Nov 13th, then the first day / night test with a pink ball at the glorious Adelaide Oval on Nov 27th.
100/0 at lunch, a very good session for Australia, very, very cautious at the start, Burns has looked good on his home ground, but after that Warner went for it for a few overs and brought up a nice 50.
Very good chance this match will be rain affected, it’s been pissing in Sydney and the south of the country for the last few days and heading towards Brisbane.
Burns out for a good 71, Warner’s just brought up the tonne (@glasagusban please note), Khawaja is going well on 27. Boult, Craig and Bracewell all getting carted around the place. It looks like a very placid Gabba wicket though. 208/1 in the 50th over.
Warner finally out on 163.
311/2 and Steven Smith’s up next. NZ will be praying for rain.
England 94-6. Just Cook and Rashid left.
Calamitous start to the morning for England and the usual batting collapse - 48-2 to 59-6 in the space of 5 overs. 133/7 currently with Captain Cook still at the crease.
Sounds like a typically hopeless pitch in Brisbane. They don’t seem to go in for a fair contest between bat and ball in Australia.
South Africa have reduced India to 168/7 in Chandigarh.
England well beaten just after lunch. Indians all out for 201 and the Saffers 28-2 in reply.
Australia declare on 556/4 after Khawaja was out for 174 - delighted for Usman, his first test century. Let’s see if this is actually a hopeless pitch now.
The Kiwis are 5 down at the close. The Saffers were bowled out for 180 and India are building a lead
How did the world’s Number 1 batsman Steven Smith fare out?
He made 48. He’s not #1 anymore anyway, think it is Joe Root now.