Four overs of chaos - second Test begins with more Ashes drama

by · BBC Sport

Different day, different Test, different city and different ground. Same chaotic Ashes cricket.

After England were beaten by Australia inside two days in Perth, the second Test began with four overs of pandemonium in Brisbane.

The drama of the day-nighter began at the toss when Australia confirmed the omission of spinner Nathan Lyon - but that was nothing compared to an opening 20 minutes that included two England ducks, a dropped catch and a possible wicket that wasn't.

Australia's Mitchell Starc once again wreaked havoc by removing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, Joe Root was dropped off the same bowler and Zak Crawley may have edged behind off Michael Neser, yet the hosts failed to appeal.

Here's how it all unfolded:

  • 0.4 overs - Eng 4-0 - Crawley was twice out for a duck to Starc in the first Test but finally got off the mark for the series with a crunching cover drive off the same bowler - shades of the England opener hitting Pat Cummins for four from the first ball of the 2023 Ashes at Edgbaston.
  • 0.6 overs - Eng 5-1 - Just as in Perth, Starc strikes in the first over of England's innings, only this time his victim is Duckett. Facing his first ball, Duckett is drawn into a poke at a full, swinging delivery, resulting in an edge to first slip. The left-hander's duck means this is the first time England openers have registered three ducks in the first two Tests of an Ashes series.
  • 2.3 overs - Eng 5-2 - An awful shot from Pope, showing England learned little from their capitulation in Perth. Facing only his third delivery, Pope tries to cut a wide delivery from Starc and chops on to his own stumps. Even at such an early stage - only 15 deliveries into the match - there had already been evidence of steep bounce. For that reason, this was a serious error of judgement from England's number three.
  • 2.6 overs - Eng 11-2 - Almost a hammer blow for England as Root escapes with an edge through the slips off Starc. Squared up by one angled across him, Root fends towards first slip, with the ball dropping in front of fielder Marnus Labuschagne. Australia captain Steve Smith dives across Labuschagne from second slip, gets his left hand to the ball, but can't hold on. It would have been a stunning catch. Instead it brings four for Root.
  • 3.5 overs - Eng 21-2 - Would this have been given out if Australia opted for a review? Crawley played at a delivery from Michael Neser, the seamer selected as a pink-ball specialist in place of Lyon. Neser appeals, yet gets little support from his team-mates. Replays show a tiny scratch on the technology, though nothing conclusive to suggest the TV umpire would have overturned the on-field decision.

England eventually came through Starc's five-over spell without further losses.

Before the second Test was an hour old, the left-armer already had 12 wickets in the series, echoing the performance of Mitchell Johnson, who destroyed England on their Ashes tour of 2013-14.

"Mitchell Starc is one of those bowlers that, especially when we were sharing hotels, when I'm sitting there eating my breakfast, a bit nervous, he always walked down looking so calm," former England spinner Phil Tufnell told Test Match Special.

"That's what makes world-class performers. You can tell who's a world-class cricketer by how they eat breakfast. I bet he's calm."

Starc's opening burst also extended some extraordinary career numbers.

The 35-year-old joined legendary Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram on 414 wickets - the most by left-arm pace bowlers in Test cricket.

This was the 26th occasion Starc has taken a wicket in the first over of an innings - three of those have come in this series.

Starc also added to his superb record with the pink ball. Before this match, he was comfortably the leading wicket-taker in day-night Tests, with this new-ball spell taking his tally to 83 wickets from 15 matches, 40 clear of fellow Australian Cummins in second place.

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