Australia on top, bowls England out for 236

After its bowlers skittled England out for 236, Australia refused to enforce the follow-on and batted to be 45 for 1 off 17 overs at stumps, leading by a massive 282 runs. Opening the batting for the host, David Warner and Marcus Harris were tasked with seeing off the new pink ball in a tricky period.

But with three overs left for the end of play, confusion between the left-handed batters resulted in Warner being run out for 13 (38 balls). Harris (21 batting off 59 balls, 3 fours) and night-watchman Michael Neser (2 batting off 6 balls) ensured that Australia didn’t lose any more wickets in the final overs. The day largely belonged to lethal left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc (4 for 37 off 16.1 overs) and ace off-spinner Nathan Lyon (3 for 58 off 28 overs). The duo shared seven wickets as the tourist lost the last eight batters for 86 runs to be bundled out for 236.

This was after a 138-run third-wicket partnership between Dawid Malan (80 off 157 balls, 10 fours) and skipper Joe Root (62 off 116 balls, 7 fours), a stand that had briefly raised England’s hopes of making a comeback. Resuming at 17/2, Malan and Root looked comfortable in the first hour and didn’t allow the Australia bowlers to settle down.

The left-handed Malan brought up his ninth Test half-century with a pull to backward square-leg off pacer Neser. After England went for the break with no loss of wickets and 123 runs in the session, Australia began the second period strongly as Lyon and Cameron Green delivered six straight maidens.

Green (2 for 24) broke the alliance as Root poked a delivery outside the off-stump, only for the ball to take a healthy edge to first slip. Malan then tried to cut Starc, but the edge flew straight to Steve Smith at first slip. Ollie Pope (5) survived an LBW call on DRS against Lyon, but flicked the ball straight to Marnus Labuschagne at short-leg two deliveries later.

Starc got his second wicket as Jos Buttler (0) went for an expansive drive, with the ball flying straight to Warner at first slip. Post tea, Lyon continued his good work by extracting turn and bounce.

The effort paid off as Chris Woakes (24 off 40 balls, 5 fours) was bowled with a quicker delivery which spun back in and clipped the inner edge.

In his next over, Lyon scalped his third as Ollie Robinson (0) was rapped on the back foot by a ball that turned in sharply. Southpaw Ben Stokes (34 off 98 balls, 3 fours, 1 six) was later dismissed by Green after playing a decent knock.