The first Ashes Test between Australia and England remains finely poised heading into day three at Brisbane after the hosts finished the second day at 196-4 in reply to the visitors’ first-innings total of 302 runs.
After a lower order collapse by England in the first half of the day, the Aussies were put under tremendous pressure early into their innings but an unbeaten 89-run stand for the fifth wicket by Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh enabled the hosts to inch just ahead at the end of the second day’s play.
Here, we look at the key talking points of another hard-fought day of cricket at the Ashes.
Mitchell Starc gets wicket No. 150
All throughout the build-up to the Ashes, Mitchell Starc’s name has probably seen the most amount of discussion. The express pacer has been earmarked by the Aussies to emulate Mitchell Johnson’s feat of 37 wickets in the 5-0 whitewash over England in the 2013-14 series Down Under.
The left-armed pace spearhead started the series off in ominous fashion after sending back Alastair Cook early on Thursday morning. There would be more wickets on day one for the 27-year-old but he would get two on Friday to register his 150th Test wicket.
Dawid Malan would be Starc’s landmark victim after he top-edged a pull into the hands of Shaun Marsh at deep square-leg. Starc’s 150 wickets have come in just 37 Tests at an impressive average of 28.30 with a strike-rate just under 50.
That’s 150 Test wickets for Mitchell Starc!https://t.co/P6sH6ROa7L #Ashes pic.twitter.com/BVoh7aoaAS
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) November 24, 2017
England’s Ashes debutants shine at the Gabba
After James Vince and Mark Stoneman had registered half-centuries on the first day, it was the turn of the third English Ashes debutant in the form of Dawid Malan to reach his fifty on the Friday.
Coming into the Ashes, it was these three batsmen who were highlighted as the weak spots in the English batting line-up so it might come as a pleasant surprise for Joe Root and the England team management that the first three-half centuries in the series have all been scored by the visitors’ Ashes debutants.
The early statement from the three batsmen will be a huge boost to the visitors in the remainder of the five-match series.
Mark Stoneman and James Vince had hit fifties on the opening day.
Shaun Marsh shuts up his critics, for now
When the Australian selectors named the squad for the first Ashes Test, there were surprises galore with Tim Paine being handed a shock recall into the side seven years after he last made an appearance in the five-day format.
There was a similar backlash after Shaun Marsh was handed a recall into the Test squad after his continuously on and off performances for the country. The 34-year-old left-hander has an elegant technique and is a sight to behold when in full flow. However, inconsistencies and injuries have plagued Marsh’s time with the national team.
On Friday, he vindicated the selector’s decision after combining with the skipper to arrest Australia’s top-order slide. The Western Australia man showed excellent resolve and determination to stick out a tricky period for the hosts and remained unbeaten on 44 by the time stumps were called.
Marsh looked extremely good in his unbeaten 44-run knock.
