Adelaide: England bowlers picked up three wickets early on the fourth day of the second day-night Ashes cricket Test here on Sunday but Australia tightened their grip on the match by taking their total lead past 350 runs by dinner. Australia started the day with 45 for one wicket. The team lost early wickets of openers Marcus Harris, Steve Smith and night watchman Michael Nesser, followed by first-innings centuries Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head in the second innings to take the team’s score to 134 for four to take the overall lead to 371 runs. .
Labuschagne 31 while Head is playing 45 runs in 44 balls. Aussies could declare their innings in the middle of the second session after taking their lead past 400 runs to take advantage of the evening conditions to target England’s top order at floodlights. England captain Joe Root was injured during the warm-up before the start of the day’s play. Root suffered a ball in his stomach after which he was taken to the hospital for further examination. Root, however, did not suffer any serious injuries and came out to field later.
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England achieved early breakthroughs in the presence of stand-in captain Ben Stokes. Australia lost the wickets of Nesser and Harris within three balls. Nesser (03) was bowled by James Anderson while Jos Buttler took a brilliant catch by Harris (23) off Stuart Broad. Butler dropped the catch of Smith (06) off Broad’s next ball. However, Australia’s stand-in captain Smith could not take advantage of the lifeline and was caught by Butler off Ollie Robinson’s delivery, which took the team’s score to 55 for four. Labuschagne and Head, who scored 103 in the first innings, then put on an unbroken partnership of 79 runs to not allow England to achieve further success in the first session. (agency)