Zak Crawley struck a defiant half-century to lead England’s recovery to 98/2 at Tea on the opening day of the pink-ball second Ashes Test at The Gabba, after Mitchell Starc’s fiery new-ball spell threatened an early collapse.
England were rocked within the first three overs, reduced to 5/2 after Starc dismissed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks in quick succession. The left-arm pacer extracted sharp movement under the Brisbane sunshine, continuing his remarkable run of form and drawing level with Wasim Akram’s record of 414 Test wickets, the most by a left-arm pacer in history.
However, the momentum shifted through an excellent counterattacking partnership between Crawley and Joe Root, who added an unbroken 93-run stand for the third wicket. Crawley, coming under scrutiny after twin ducks in the series opener, showed composure and control to reach a crucial fifty, displaying improved judgement outside off and punishing anything loose.
Root provided stability from the other end with calm support, though he survived a sharp chance early when Steve Smith put down a difficult catch in the slips while he was on 2. Crawley also had moments of fortune — an UltraEdge spike not reviewed by Australia when he was on 15, and a tough return catch spilled on 39 — but made the most of the reprieves.
The Gabba surface played slightly slower than usual, easing conditions for batting once the ball softened. Day-night Test history in Australia suggests that the second session is generally the best to bat, and England capitalised on that window before the more challenging twilight period begins post-Tea.
Captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat as England aim to bounce back from their defeat in the first Test and prove that their ‘Bazball’ approach can adapt to Australian conditions. With Crawley and Root both set, the visitors will now eye a strong platform heading into the tougher evening session.
Score at Tea, Day 1
England 98/2 (38 overs)
Zak Crawley 61*, Joe Root 32*
Mitchell Starc 2 wickets
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