Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain said Ollie Pope’s “chaotic” 10-ball stay near the crease on the second day of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide set the tone for further failures from England’s batsmen.
Pope (3) was one of three England wickets to fall in the space of two-and-a-half overs before the lunch interval as the tourists fell from 37-0 to 42-3 with a fine batting line.
With Harry Brook scoring 45 points and Ben Stokes not out all night with the same score, England are still 158 points behind at 213-8, but Hussain says the team’s Ashes hopes remain “a thread behind”.
“Pope’s short stay near the crease was another hot look,” Hussain said. “It’s not just about his lack of goals conceded and the way he’s coming out, it’s just the atmosphere.
“What I want a No. 3 to do is either bring the pressure back like Ricky Ponting, Viv Richards and David Gower did, or silence the moment like Jonathan Trott did, soften the dressing room and remind everyone it’s still a very good pitch.”
“I think he’s not someone who would do that. He still looks a little confused.
“He’s chipped shots from quite outside to short midwicket and now he’s 41-2 on flat wickets, but he’s making it look like a bit of a minefield.”
Ollie Pope was dismissed after three games on day two of the Adelaide tournament as he continues to wait for his first Ashes 50.
Nathan Ryan also added the wicket of Ben Duckett, 29, in the opening over, moving him past Glenn McGrath into second place among Australia’s all-time top wicket-takers in Tests, with his 564 second only to Shane Warne’s 708.
Brook led a short counter in the afternoon session, but Stokes’ tenacious 151-ball stay at the crease, plagued by cramps in 40-degree heat, at least gave England a sign of hope heading into the third morning – the captain and Jofra Archer (No. 30) shared an unbroken partnership of 45 runs to the stumps.
“After another difficult day, the ashes seem to be fading away,” Hussein added.
“The partnership between Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes at the end of the day shows what a good track it is.
Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes shared an unbroken partnership of 45 runs till stumps on the second day
“England’s top eight batsmen, with the exception of Stokes and perhaps Harry Brook, succumbed to the pressure of Australia’s relentless attack.
“Australia’s bowling was outstanding and England couldn’t live with them.
“England can’t afford to have another bad day as their Ashes hopes are literally on the line. They need a miracle.”
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“Defiant Stokes left to fend for England alone”
The man who brings about that miracle will probably have to be the captain. Stokes has a history of pulling match-winning performances out of nowhere, particularly against Australia.
Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton said of Stokes’ exhaustion of 151 pitches to the crease so far: “It was left to Stokes to do his defiant best.”
“He was defiant and defensive, as he should have been – over four hours of sweat and effort.
England’s hopes for the Ashes are likely to rest on captain Ben Stokes, who remains unbeaten into the third day.
“I watched him during his last drinks break tonight and he was down on one knee drinking water on board and trying to cool off with a towel over his head.
“He had cramps because of the heat of the day and is trying to do it on his own without much support.”
But Atherton believes it is unlikely we will see Headingley-style heroics to match Stokes’ match-winning 135, as England chased down a then-record 359 in the 2019 Test.
“England seem to be better in terms of targets to aim at,” Atherton added. “Does it focus the mind or what?
“But I think this Australian attack, at the end of the day, is probably too good for that. Last words and all, we’ve just seen what Nathan Ryan did on the pitch on the second day.”
“If England have another tough day on the field, they will really be chasing the game on the fifth day.
“Today we had a chance to take the lead in the first inning, but they don’t seem to be able to do that and we’ll probably pay the price.
“Stokes arrived here in Australia saying he wanted to join the Ashes winning squad of captains selected in this country, but that seems to be getting further and further away.”
Trescothick: The Pope is not without confidence
England batting coach Marcus Trescothick defended Pope despite his recent failures with the bat on his second day in Adelaide, telling the BBC:
“I felt it was tough for him because he didn’t get the points he wanted, and when you get a few low scores it often puts pressure on you.
“He’s going to work hard all night and come back tomorrow with a game plan and try to execute it.”
Further discussing England’s recent batting failures in the post-play press conference, manager Trescothick claimed that his team had:
Don’t let Stokes down.
“To be honest, I don’t know if ‘let him down’ is the right word,” he said. “Everyone is giving 100 percent effort and giving it their all.
“It’s not that I’m not working as hard as others in any game I play. I’m just not having the success I’d like to have at this stage. There’s no guarantee that I’ll be successful in every series, and it’s not given to me.”
“Ben chose to play that way today and played the way he thought was right,” Trescothick added of the England captain.
“That’s kind of what he does, he’s mostly focused. When he’s in that state of mind, when it’s really tricky and tough, when he’s in situations and situations where others can’t succeed, he’s at his best.
England captain Ben Stokes struggled in the Adelaide heat on Thursday.
“He found it difficult to get enough carbohydrates and drinks because he sweats so easily. He wasn’t able to drink as much as he wanted because he felt a bit unwell.
“But he dug in, worked hard, and hit for a long time.”
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