Starc dominates England in 2nd Ashes test as Australia looks for another big victory

BRISBANE, Australia Mitchell Starc continued his dominant form against England, wreaking havoc with both his bowling and batting in the second Ashes Test. At the close of Day 3, England stood at 134-6 in their second innings, still 43 runs short of forcing Australia to bat again.

Starc, who earned the player of the match award for his 10-wicket haul in Australias commanding eight-wicket win in Perth last month, is in contention for another accolade in the Brisbane day-night Test. After claiming six wickets in Englands first innings of 334 on the opening two days, Starc contributed a match-high 77 runs during Australias reply of 511 and later took two more wickets under the lights.

Englands survival now hinges on captain Ben Stokes, who will resume on 4.

Starcs Impact

The 35-year-old Starc made Englands bowlers work tirelessly in bright, subtropical conditions at the Gabba, helping Australia establish a 177-run first-innings advantage. Under fading daylight with the pink ball swinging, Starc removed top-ranked Joe Root for 15, leaving England at 123-5 and still trailing by 54 runs. He immediately followed up by dismissing Jamie Smith, reducing England to 128-6.

Earlier, Scott Boland and Michael Neser shared the first four wickets for Australia. Boland dismissed Ben Duckett and Harry Brook for 15 each, while Neser caught Ollie Pope (26) and Zak Crawley (44). Neser praised Starc as the greatest left-arm bowler ever, calling him special and highlighting his prowess with both bat and ball.

Australia aims to take four quick wickets on Sunday to secure a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Batting Brilliance

In a rare feat, all 11 Australian batsmen reached double figures for just the third time in nearly 150 years of Test cricket. Starcs 77 was one of five half-centuries, following contributions from Jake Weatherald (72), Marnus Labuschagne (65), stand-in captain Steve Smith (61), and Alex Carey (63).

England had a cautious half-hour before the lights came on and the sun set. Starc, entering the innings during a 54-run seventh-wicket stand, batted for over 2 hours to register his best score against England. He shared a 75-run ninth-wicket partnership with Boland, setting a Gabba record for that wicket.

While no Australian batter reached a century, England bowlers conceded over 100 runs each. Brydon Carse took 4-152, Stokes returned 3-113, and Gus Atkinson finished with 1-114. Pace bowler Jofra Archer took 1-87, while spinner Jacks claimed 1-34.

England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick acknowledged the teams difficult position, emphasizing the need to regroup and respond effectively in the next session.

Author: Sophia Brooks