Cricket fred

[Banquo]

nice knock from Root.....but....

Feels like a waste to have destroyed the Australian attacking field and then not be taking 6 an over from easy singles. But, then you take the rough with the smooth, I guess - we wouldn't be in this position if Root hadn't taken risks.

Stokes is being circumspect starting off. Unusual.

Puja

yeah, but they aren't learning...three stumped off Lyon identically. Easy enough to milk him from the crease. Stokes knows he owes some runs I guess- he averages about 28 as skip/bazball, vs 35 as a normal player.

[Puja]

Better from England - had a few overs where things slowed down and it felt like pressure was really coming onto the batsmen trying to survive till lunch, but then Brooks decided to go for Lyon again and it's sped things up again. We don't want to lose a wicket through recklessness before lunch, but we also don't want to go into our shells and lose one through giving Australia confidence.

Puja

[Puja]

Balls. That changes things quite a bit.

Puja

[Banquo]

Balls. That changes things quite a bit.

Puja

Yup, in bother

[Puja]

Massive DRS there. Bairstow overturning LBW by an absolute whisker - he clearly reviewed just out of absolute hope and was so lucky.

That would've entirely turned the match. C'mon England, just get through to lunch.

Puja

[Banquo]

Yjb an inch away from two of the worst days in his career

[Banquo]

One fascinating thing is that England always go very hard at the start of a session. No playing yourself in again. Great, yet very nervy stuff to watch!

[Banquo]

Massive DRS there. Bairstow overturning LBW by an absolute whisker - he clearly reviewed just out of absolute hope and was so lucky.

That would've entirely turned the match. C'mon England, just get through to lunch.

Puja

Ponting, Taylor and Smith all seething on a couple of DRS decisions. They were banging on about the Stokes overturned LBW v Lyon....because the wiggly line 'isnt like the normal spike when it hits the bat'...well to me, it looked like it scraped along the bottom of the bat, which would make sense; but its besides the point as it hit him outside the line and was missing! And on YJB's LBW, that ball was shorter than the one which got Smith, and from a much taller bowler.

[Puja]

Fast scoring has changed the mood of the game, but another wicket changes it back. Bairstow has not paid back the runs he cost us from behind the stumps.

Moeen now. He'll not be sitting blocking (and he shouldn't, because it doesn't suit him), but he's a very competent batsman even if a risky one. If he gets his eye in/a bit of luck, it could be a quick 30-40 and the game dragged away from Australia. If he gets out early, then we 're likely setting far too low a target.

Puja

[Puja]

Can Stokes be the first player to break the magic mark of 46 this innings? Both Root and Brook have given away their wicket when well set at 46... and as I type now Stokes is given out LBW. Reviewing...

ETA. Piss. Tee off Moeen - our best chance is going to be battering a quick score with a counter-attack.

Puja

[Banquo]

Can Stokes be the first player to break the magic mark of 46 this innings? Both Root and Brook have given away their wicket when well set at 46... and as I type now Stokes is given out LBW. Reviewing...

ETA. Piss. Tee off Moeen - our best chance is going to be battering a quick score with a counter-attack.

Puja

Cummins has been superb. Ball's done a bit more this innings, but Root and Brook getting themselves out hasn't helped.

[Banquo]

smart bowling, but disappointing from us.

[Puja]

Waiting for Stokes to declare so we can have a few overs at them before tea...

Puja

[Banquo]

Early wickets needed. All got themselves in, needed one to get a ton.

[Puja]

I'd've taken your hand off at the wrist for 273 when Stokes went at 210-7. Great little wag of the tail to set Australia 281 to win. It's not an insuperable total for a chase, but it's certainly something that England can bowl at.

Good timing as well - gives England a session and whatever of Tuesday is playable to try and get 10 wickets. Just a crying shame that they couldn't've lasted for another 5 minutes - I suspect Stokes was readying a declaration just to be annoying, possibly at 282 which was the famous figure from 2005.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Better than it looked like being at one stage. We needed one of Root, Brook or Stokes to press on for a 70/80.

Game in the balance. Should be a thrilling 4th innings.

[Banquo]

Not good enough from bairstow

[Donny osmond]

Not good enough from bairstow

He's had a shocking couple of days. Taken in isolation one or two of yesterday's chances could be forgiven, but add them all up and it's just not good enough

[Puja]

4 missed catches and the stumping. If we lose this, he'll have been the difference and, fine as the first innings counterattack was, he'll've made a powerful argument for a Foakes recall. I know a key part of Bazball is that we don't drop people after one game, but we can't play a series with a keeper missing 5 wicket-taking opportunities per match. Even if only two of them were taken, it'd be a different game entirely.

Puja

[Banquo]

Two undercooked cricketers are the difference at the moment. And Sir Geoffrey Khawaja.

[Puja]

Well done to Australia. An incredible Test match and either side would've been worthy winners.

Fantastic series ahead of us though. England pushed Australia to the wire despite having Ali and Stokes barely fit to bowl and Bairstow barely fit to keep, so I'm hopeful we can do better in the games to come.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Fantastic match showing conclusively that test cricket is the greatest of all formats.

Small margins at the end. we should improve but so will Australia.

[Donny osmond]

Absolute quality. Have to think (hope) everyone's going to improve as well, so hopefully we'll get some tests that don't swing on dropped catches and the like. I mean, if all the tests are like that one, I won't be complaining but it'd be nice to see them swing on cricketing talent rather than missed opportunities

[Banquo]

Kudos to the ozzies, every time we had em on the ropes they fought back hard.

We have a number of selection issues to sort.

[Puja]

The BBC consoling themselves by using a picture that looks like Cummins is running in terror from a levitating bat that's chasing him.

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Puja