Smith and bowlers put Aussies in the box seat

ADELAIDE • Australia declared their first innings on 473-9 and then reduced England to 17-2 after a near-flawless evening session to take charge of the day-night second Ashes Test yesterday.

Stand-in skipper Steve Smith, wearing the armband in place of Pat Cummins, out as a result of Covid-19 protocols, fell agonisingly short of his hundred.

However, Alex Carey smashed 51 and lower-order batsmen Michael Neser and Mitchell Starc produced breezy cameos before they declared their innings.

The visitors lost both their openers cheaply before bad weather brought the second day's play to an early close at the Adelaide Oval.

England captain Joe Root was batting on five and Dawid Malan on one with his teammates facing an uphill task to stay alive in the pink-ball contest.

Earlier, they brought out the big guns, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, to open the bowling on a hot and overcast day.

Both missed the first Test but the hosts were unperturbed by their appearance.

Neser, on his Test debut in place of injured bowler Josh Hazelwood, blasted 35 off 24 balls while Starc remained not out after a run-a-ball 39.

Marnus Labuschagne clinched his sixth test century after 54 balls in the nervous nineties.

Two balls later, it looked all over as he was caught behind but TV footage showed bowler Ollie Robinson's foot was fractionally over the crease and the batsman, who had been dropped twice during his knock, was recalled.

One run later, however, Robinson had his revenge, trapping Labuschagne lbw (leg before wicket) for 103 off 305 balls.

When asked about his century, Labuschagne said: "I just think about scoring as many runs in each innings to try and win the game. Winning games for Australia is by far the most enjoyable part."

Travis Head made 18 before Root bowled him and Ben Stokes claimed his second wicket when he pegged back the off-stump of Cameron Green (two).

While Smith fell lbw to Anderson after a patient 93, Labuschagne paid tribute to the former for leading by example.

On Smith, wearing the armband for the first time since the 2018 "Sandpaper-gate" scandal that saw him stripped of the captaincy, he said: "Steve has handled it very well, it's not new to him.

"It's nice to see him in that leadership role. From a team dynamic, I don't think anything has changed."

On Neser, Labuschagne added: "We are all so happy for him, with what he has done for the last four years in (Sheffield) Shield cricket.

"It's so exciting to see him take that first one and it can give him the confidence to come back tomorrow and lock into his bowling. I think this wicket suits him."

REUTERS