Ashes 2021-22 4th Test, Day 2: Australia v England – LIVE!

60th over: Australia 158-3 (Smith 24, Khawaja 17) Who knows more than Leach and England. Neither attacking nor defending, Australia are scoring runs of their own accord, and showing just how much confidence they have in the match-up, Khawaja pulled off an exceptional reverse sweep for four.

59th over: Australia 152-3 (Smith 23, Khawaja 12) Rain delayed, what delayed rain? After a brief interruption, Smith hit a straight four to Anderson. He seems to be in good order today.

Andrew Benton is online. “‘It’s not really clear what England is trying to achieve…’ Jonathan, you should know by now that everything England does is a huge learning experience and they will take that learning And will implement it next time. See if they don’t.” Important.

The shower has just started, and we’ll be back soon. No overs lost.

58.3 overs: Australia 148-3 (Smith 19, Khawaja 12) It’s rained just now at SCG. It doesn’t seem to be set, but the players are jogging at the moment.

57th over: Australia 147-3 (Smith 19, Khawaja 11) more leeches. Easy run for Australia It’s not really clear what England are trying to achieve with their spinner, with gaps in place for the batsmen, and no clear plan of attack to pick up wickets.

56th over: Australia 145-3 (Smith 18, Khawaja 10) Anderson is working his way up for Khawaja, skewering the ball at the left-hander, but he is yet to find a penetrating line and length. Australia is settled well into the day.

55th over: Australia 144-3 (Smith 17, Khawaja 10) Jack Leach was bowled early on the second day. There’s not much to be excited about from England’s approach – not helped by an over-defensive field – and Australia pushed their score to four with minimal fuss.

54th over: Australia 140-3 (Smith 14, Khawaja 9) After his initial outburst, Wood makes way for Anderson, and the veteran shows he’s still got a bit of it, rapping Khawaja on his knuckles with a delivery that began at a length. Haseeb Hameed’s heavily tied fingers must be trembling in the field. After the strike is rotated, Anderson beats Smith to the outside edge (around the sixth stump). Good start by breaking the record.

Colm Fordham has joined in. “It’s great to have Jimmy Anderson and Joe Root as our Test stars – and they undoubtedly are – who are not involved in white-ball cricket (although Root does play in ODIs). But Australia have as their strike bowlers. Has won the T20 World Cup with Hazlewood and Starc and many Australian players play equally well in all formats (Warner is a shining example as a batsman). India, Australia and New Zealand, with only a few cricket players How do you manage to play so well in all formats of the game, in the name of countries?

I think one of the ECB’s many mistakes over the last five or so years is to focus almost entirely on white ball cricket, neglecting Test cricket (and county cricket with it), but still Attempts have been made to milk Test cricket for Yash and Dirty. Lucre (Ashes Tour), inviting Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa to tour England in difficult conditions, but withdrew from the tour at the first opportunity (especially Pakistan).

53rd over: Australia 139-3 (Smith 14, Khawaja 9) Broad imagines Khawaja his chances along the Warner-wicket line from around the wicket, but his attempt to build pressure is undone when the batsman does well to swing the strike in the middle of the over. Broad then sends a rank delivery mile down legside that Smith takes out the P with an exaggerated front foot leave. smiles all around. A good reflection of the spirit of this series.

52nd over: Australia 138-3 (Smith 14, Khawaja 8) Wood provided some width for Khawaja to drive and the Australian took the advantage, striking crisp square for his first three runs of the day. Smith then pulls a very well directed bouncer with great control. It only resulted in an easy single, but that was all-round cricket. Wood adjusts his approach towards Khawaja around the wicket, but he loses his line and delivers an easy leg-side run.

51st over: Australia 133-3 (Smith 13, Khawaja 4) Some thick-edged squirts behind point earn Smith four runs and a bonus broad teapot. A vintage smith step to off and easy push to leg earns some more. Then he points to the pavilion for 18 minutes more gloves a day.

Tim Lane on Channel 7 Commentary just said Steve Smith is breathing down his coach’s neck, talking up a graphic showing the leading run-scorer in the history of Australian cricket. Now I can’t get rid of my mind from the ghost pottery scene going on in the Australian dressing room.

50th over: Australia 127-3 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) Mark Wood comes to Usman Khawaja over the wicket, trying to skewer the ball onto the left-hander. Khawaja tactfully leaves and softly defends it from the crease to see a young woman. Australia started the morning conservatively.

49th over: Australia 127-3 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) Broad, after his solitary delivery warm-up, sends a tight over to Smith, tries his best to bowl full and straight.

48th over: Australia 127-3 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) Mark Wood is handed the first full of the day, much to the delight of Ricky Ponting. And his extra pace tests Steve Smith, his third delivery defeating Smith’s effort and prompting an unintentional deflection from the arm guard and thigh pad. The fidgety run machine then swings the strike neatly, and Khawaja watches over the rest.

I don’t think we need to worry about lost overs right now.

47th over: Australia 126-3 (Smith 6, Khawaja 4) Stuart Broad sends a fine delivery to complete the 47th over, which was cut short by rain last night, and we are on.

Okay, the players are out, the second day’s play will begin in a jiffy.

“Where do you come from on the idea of ​​having a multi-format Ashes?” Ben asks Mimack, no doubt from a piece of Jonathan Lew’s comment on the idea. “Granted I’m a middle-aged bleak, but I don’t enjoy watching any other formats as much as I do Tests, so a multi-format series would be inherently less interesting to me. Also , I can’t help but feel it will rush towards the end of the regular Test series.”

I am open minded. I worry that we end up trying to fix something that isn’t broken, and end up in a world of disastrous unintended consequences. But at the same time, it is difficult to refute the logic of Jonathan’s argument. In an era when cricket’s global calendar must certainly be up for revision, is a standalone five-Test series no preparation for the purpose?

“Hi Jonathan,” hello Peter Salmon. “My question at the moment is, do Australia already have enough runs?” Ooh, you cheeky crook.

And yes, probably, for his first innings. Though probably not for an innings win just yet.

There is heat, humidity and thunderstorms at SCG. There is a slight risk of rain, but the chances are in our favor for a full day’s play. There is heavy roll on a great pitch with speed, bounce and plenty of grass.

andy bull Ashley Giles has had enough.

If Giles is right and more systematic change is needed, the key question is whether, given his track record in the job, he is the right person to lead it, given that he has followed such a (considered) rotation policy. made a mistake. , and the mistake of forcing the chief selector to put more responsibility on the coach.

Ramaswamy is dropped with a conspiracy bomb. “Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat, so that the Test could be extended to the fourth day, in order to maximize McGrath Foundation fundraising. Rain will definitely help. It’s a ‘fix’ that I have to appreciate.” I wouldn’t let it take control of the weather post-Tim Pat and leave showers at reasonable intervals to make sure the Test reaches the final session of day five And all the results should still be in line.

Andrew Biggs won an Academy Award for his email earlier in the day, commenting on the relationship between England’s exceptional red-ball cast and their lack of white-ball performance. Chance? He doesn’t think. “Two of the best England cricketers haven’t played white-ball cricket for different reasons. Jimmy decided not to prolong his career and Root was ignored.

It must clearly be central to England’s debrief. As indicated by Mike Atherton’s masterplan for the path forward, it is certainly time to have specialist coaches for each discipline, and I suspect, as a path to almost separate identities for each category. .

mark wood Bowled with raw pace at the SCG yesterday, but no guarantee of a line-up in the England XI after a “boring night” with illness.

Geoff Lemon Have seen the latest episode in the Stuart Broad Vs David Warner epic.

here is barney crying Take the 24-hour period in which Test cricket flourished in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

Start your cricketing day by listening to Geoff Lemon, Adam Collins and Emma John chew.