ADELAIDE: Unbeaten half-centuries from David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne thrust Australia, missing regular skipper Pat Cummins, into the ascendancy in the second Ashes test against England on Thursday.
Warner, who suffered bruised ribs in the opening test in Brisbane, was batting on 65 and Marnus Labuschagne 53 in a second session of no wickets, slow scoring and few opportunities, to push Australia to 129-1 at tea.
The hosts were jolted even before the pink-ball test got underway at Adelaide Oval with skipper Pat Cummins forced out after being identified as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case.
Steve Smith regained the captaincy for the first time since the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal but Australia were under early pressure after he won the toss and elected to bat.
The scoring was sedate but with Australia edging steadily forward, England, having opted for an all-seam attack, will be frustrated having also burnt two reviews trying to dismiss Warner.
England dominated the first session after recalled seamer Stuart Broad got the breakthrough, removing opener Marcus Harris for three runs via a cracking catch from Jos Buttler.
It took 18 balls before a run was struck, the first 10 overs yielding just 11 runs as England, beaten by nine wickets inside four days in the series opener in Brisbane, put Australia under the pump.
But as England captain Joe Root brought himself into the attack to provide rest to his quicks, Warner appeared eager to up his scoring rate, an approach adopted equally by Labuschagne.
Warner, who famously smashed 335 not out at the venue against Pakistan two years ago, was now finding his groove, his 50 off 112 balls slow by his reckoning but a building block to a decent team total. – Reuters
