The opening day of the decisive third Ashes Test in Perth went the way of the tourists as they finished on 305-4 when stumps were called.
Trailing 2-0 in the five-match series, Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat first on what is the final game at the WACA. His decision was vindicated after a strong display by the visitors’ batsmen as Australia’s bowlers were made to toil.
Here, we look at the key talking points of the first day.
ALASTAIR COOK FAILS AGAIN
The England opener has not had the best tour so far with his 37-run knock in the first innings at Adelaide being the highest score he has managed. His troubles continued on Thursday as he fell for just seven runs.
The left-handed batter was late to bring down his bat to an attempted in-swinging yorker from Australia’s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc and was trapped plumb in front of the wickets.
Playing in his 150th Test, Cook has been struggling for runs for some time now and his constant failures have compounded England’s problems down under.
Cook was caught plumb in front of the wickets by Starc.
MARK STONEMAN’S CONTROVERSIAL DISMISSAL
Cook’s opening partner on the other hand dug in to bring up his third Test fifty and second of the series.
The 30-year-old was on the receiving end of some menacing short-ball barrages by the Aussie pacers but hung in resolutely despite being hit on the helmet by a vicious Josh Hazlewood bouncer.
The left-hander’s dismissal ultimately though was a highly controversial one. Another ripping short-ball, this time from Starc, had Stoneman attempting to evade it by throwing up his hands. Tim Paine appealed immediately for a caught-behind but the umpire was unmoved.
Steve Smith went in for the review and third-umpire Aleem Dar overturned the on-field official’s decision after Snicko showed a slight disturbance. There was confusion as to whether the ball had touched the glove on Stoneman’s upper hand or the lower one which he had taken off the bat while evading the bouncer.
Ultimately, Dar decided that the evidence was enough to overturn the decision much to do the disdain of the English dressing room.
Stoneman’s dismissal was a contentious one.
FIRST ENGLAND HUNDRED ON TOUR COMES FROM MALAN’S BAT
If someone had said before the start of the Ashes that England’s first century would be made by Dawid Malan in the third Test, he or she might have been dismissed as insane.
Stoneman’s dismissal had left England tottering at 131-4 and Steve Smith’s men could smell an opening with Joe Root safely back in the pavilion. Malan though showed great application as he put together an unbeaten 174-run stand for the fifth wicket with Jonny Bairstow.
The Middlesex batsmAn looked in control throughout his innings as he notched up his maiden Test century and the first for England in Australia since Ben Stokes’ hundred in Perth during 2013.
Root had challenged his team-mates before the start of the Test to turn the Ashes around and that is exactly what Malan has done. His unbeaten ton has taken England from a potentially tricky position to one from where they can dream to win.
Malan notched up his maiden Test century.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF MITCHELL MARSH
The all-rounder was picked in the playing XI in place of Peter Handscomb to give Australia a fifth bowling option on a flat WACA track. Based on Thursday’s play though, it seems Smith does not have much confidence in his bowling abilities.
The 26-year-old hardly saw any action with the ball on the opening as Smith stuck to his big guns in Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
Even during the period before the second new ball was taken, it was mainly Hazlewood and Cummins who were running in. One would think Marsh could have been used a bit more during this phase to save the quicks for the new ball.
Marsh only bowled seven overs throughout, leading many to question whether he had been selected in the side as a batsman alone.
Marsh bowled only seven overs in the day.
ENGLAND IN DRIVER’S SEAT
England’s score of 305-4 at the end of the day will bring a huge smile to their camp. In the 13 Tests they have played previously at the WACA, they have always lost whenever they have failed to cross the 300-run mark in their first innings.
On the other hand, they have never lost after touching the 300-run mark in Perth. In the three instances where they have managed to score more than 300, they have won one and drawn two.
With six wickets still in hand and plenty of batting still to come, Root’s men will feel they are in with a good chance to storm right back into the Ashes.
The Malan-Bairstow stand has put England in the driver’s seat.
