Key events
108th over: Australia 431-8 (Carey 61, Lyon 0) Akash Deep replaces Bumrah after just a couple of overs, and gets clattered! Carey launches a lofted cover drive way back into the stands! Goodness me.
107th over: Australia 424-8 (Carey 54, Lyon 0) Jadeja keeps going, and gets through a quiet over after a Carey singles first ball.
WICKET! Starc c Pant c Bumrah 18, Australia 423 for 8
106th over: Australia 423-8 (Carey 53) Bumrah gets six! Starc does slap him for four through backward square leg, a skewed whack that was aimed straight, but Bumrah’s slower ball foxes Starc into prodding at it and nicking to the keeper last ball of the over.
105th over: Australia 419-7 (Carey 52, Starc 14) Well, Starc likes hitting spin! Banged a bevy of sixes during an innings at the MCG once, and he launches his first in this innings, Jadeja way over midwicket.
104th over: Australia 411-7 (Carey 51, Starc 7) Bumrah from the other end, and maybe he’s a little slow to get going after his exertions yesterday. Starc defends him solidly enough.
Half century! Alex Carey 51 from 53 balls
103rd over: Australia 411-7 (Carey 51, Starc 7) Not a good start to the day from India. Jadeja does get one ball on the pads that he appeals for, but aside from that there’s a slow bit of fielding that lets Carey get back for two runs after placing a ball to square leg, then a misfield on the rope for four after a sweep goes fine. Carey gets Test fifty number nine, to go with his one hundred so far. It would help if he ever got to bat with the top order!
Slight delay to the start of play in Brisbane as they finish warm-ups, some rain earlier caused that.
There’s another Test match on, of course, over the ditch in New Zealand, where England are in the process of dealing with a Kiwi fight back. But… there’s rain falling and the start to play has been delayed. Still, Rob Smyth is on the tools and you can join him here:
It was a big moment for Smith yesterday, after a long wait. Here’s my report from the ground.
Preamble
Geoff Lemon
Hello from Brisbane. It’s steamy, it’s cloudy, it’s damp. The forecast is for showers, it’s just a matter of how many of them we get at the Gabba, after we also lost most of the first day.
India will be the happiest with rain, given that things didn’t go so well for them yesterday. Steve Smith century, Travis Head century, enough said. Alex Carey smashed Australia to 405 by stumps and will resume on 45 not out, along with Mitchell Starc.
So presumably Australia will bat on for a while, but they’ll have to think about the amount of time left in the match, with three likely rain-affected days.
