Australia came close to win the second Test and square up the Ashes at 1-1 thanks to another commanding display of cricket by the visitors on day 3 of the Lord’s test.
Australia had declared at the score of 566/8 and ran riot through top-order England batting on day 2, and hosts never really recovered from there on. After starting from 85-4 on day 3, all England could muster was 312 all out and posted 108 runs again in their second inning without losing any wicket. Skipper Alastair Cook and Ben Strokes were supposed to steer the English ship on day 3 and they did that for some extent. Cook was happy in give singles to Strokes who was getting the boundaries at ease. The partnership between them was looking a huge threat for the visitors. They had gone from 30 for 4 in helpless position to knocking on the 200 door without any further damage done. However, just before lunch, Mitchell Marsh bowled a delivery which penetrated the defense of Strokes, leaving England on 175. At Lunch, England were 181-5.
Jos Butler replaced Ben Strokes at the crease but he was only riding his luck. Butler got a lucky escape when he edged Johnson to the Nevill but review suggested that Nevill has grounded the ball. But Butler couldn’t capitalize on this opportunity as he edged again off Lyon and Nevill didn’t make any mistake this time again and England were 210 for six. Mitchell Marsh bowled an another tricky delivery and Cook played that on to his stumps, an inning that came to an end for four shy of a well deserved hundred. Cook wicket on 266 deflated England and Australia bowled them out quickly then. England were restricted at 312 which handed a healthy 254 runs first-inning lead to the visitors.
Australia didn’t enforce the follow-on and decided to bat their second inning. There can be many reasons for this. One of the reason can be their bowlers were getting tired and other reason can be they do not want to bat in the fourth inning of the Test match and chase any target. Openers David Warner and Chris Rogers started off very well for the visitors. At the end of day’s play, Australia had secured 108 runs without any loss of wicket. At the stumps time, Warner 63* and Rogers 44* was well settled on the crease.
