Australia asserted their dominance in the second Test of the Ashes at Lord's as they skittled England out for 325 on the third day of the match on Friday. England managed to add just 47 runs to their overnight score for their remaining six wickets, leaving them trailing Australia by 91 runs.
Australia then batted out the six overs left in the morning session and went into lunch break at 12 for no loss, extending their lead over 100.
Resuming the day at 278/4 in response to Australia's first-innings total of 416, England suffered a collapse in their batting lineup. The team's captain, Ben Stokes, was dismissed early in the day, falling to the second ball from Mitchell Starc. Stokes attempted a shot at a short delivery but only managed to edge it, resulting in a challenging catch for Cameron Green at gully.
Harry Brook, who had shown promise overnight, added five runs to his score and reached his first half-century in Ashes cricket. However, his aggressive attempt to hit another delivery from Starc down the ground ended in a miscue, sending the ball high into the air for a simple catch by Pat Cummins at cover.
England's troubles continued as Jonny Bairstow, attempting a routine stroke, chipped the ball to Cummins at mid-on off Josh Hazlewood's bowling. At this point, it became evident that England was facing an uphill battle.
Subsequent batsmen Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, and Josh Tongue failed to provide much resistance against Australia's bowlers. Even Travis Head, a part-time spinner, managed to claim two wickets at the end of England's innings.
Australia's bowling attack showcased their effectiveness in dismantling England's batting lineup, leaving the home side with a challenging task ahead to close the gap and regain control of the Test match.
(With inputs from Reuters)
