David Warner and Steve Smith had to dig in for Australia as they fought to avoid defeat in the fourth Ashes Test.
Alastair Cook (244 not out) became the first England player to carry his bat in a Test match for 20 years when James Anderson fell to the very first ball of a drastically rain-shortened fourth day in a total of 491 all out at the MCG.
Australia therefore had to begin their second innings 164 runs in arrears, with all realistic hopes of completing a 5-0 whitewash on the back-burner already.
Third-wicket pair Warner and Smith were then soon engaged in damage-limitation, with a shot at 4-0 in Sydney next week their possible reward.
But on a day shorn of more than 43 overs once forecast rain arrived, their job was still in its infancy on 103 for two – still 61 runs behind – when an early close was confirmed.
Cook had no opportunity to add to his 10-and-a-half-hour tour-de-force on the morning resumption because his 10th-wicket partner Anderson was gone immediately – caught at short-leg off Pat Cummins (four for 117).
It meant England’s all-time record runscorer was still able to bag another claim to fame, however, by becoming just the eighth from his country to carry his bat in a Test innings and first since Michael Atherton at Christchurch in 1997.
It also meant an earlier start to the rearguard than Australia had anticipated.
Warner and Cameron Bancroft were not fazed, however, in a half-century opening stand.
Bancroft’s departure at that point was a surprise – bowled off an inside-edge by Chris Woakes, who had come on as first change after just four overs and was quickly paired up with Tom Curran as Joe Root deployed Anderson and Stuart Broad for only five between them with the new ball.
By then, there was already chuntering afoot in several commentary boxes about England’s treatment of the ball – including the universal practice of throwing it in from the outfield on the bounce, in the hope of finding reverse swing via scuffing for later in the innings.
England were made aware by the umpires that they were keeping an eye on the tactic.
Reverse swing did enter the equation in due course – and after Anderson returned to have Usman Khawaja caught behind, lateral movement in the air was the chief threat to Warner and Smith.
They responded, against type, by taking their watchfulness to extremes in a peculiarly stoic stand which saw just 33 runs added in almost 20 overs through a rain-interrupted second session.
Combative opener Warner’s share, an unbeaten 40 from 140 balls, was a jarring contrast with the majority of his exploits in a career characterised by attacking intent.
It was serving Australia’s purpose, however – with plenty more resistance still needed if the weather relents on day five.
