Sending an offender down under? Ashes 2017-18

[E10 Rifle]

By the way, this is surely stat of the series

[Jon]

Anderson out first ball of the bloody day.

[Antepli Ejderha]

First ball of the day and Anderson goes to Cummins. England lead by 164, how many will Australia be down before they get rid of the deficit? I'll say 2.

Looking forward to this session.

[San Bernardhinault]

Still think it was a good choice to not declare overnight, because we now have the Oz openers potentially a little distracted by the rapid change.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Bancroft looking very nervous.

Is Anderson's run up nearly half of Broad's?

The ball is again not carrying to the keeper and slips despite it being brand new.

[Janik]

First ball of the day and Anderson goes to Cummins. England lead by 164, how many will Australia be down before they get rid of the deficit? I'll say 2.

Looking forward to this session.

This session decides the test, I reckon. Both sides will be looking to go on the attack, and the one that manages to make it stick is the one who dominates the rest of the match. If it's Warner scoring rapidly then England's lead is wiped out soon after lunch, Australia are ~150-200 up by the close and England have a tricky last day survival job ahead which they will flunk. However early wickets will force the Aussies to bat defensively, which will mean they can't score quickly enough to set up the winning position and then it becomes a case of can England grind their way to victory.

[Antepli Ejderha]

That straight on drive by Bancroft was beautiful.

England are leaking runs in these two overs, surely some conservative bowling to increase the pressure would be better than attacking and trying to buy a wicket.

Edit: Woakes replaces Broad after two overs and Curran comes on for Anderson after three.

[Satchmo Distel]

I would reckon that Australia need a minimum of 350. Even if they did that at 2.74 an over (1st innings rate), it would leave England needing 190 or so from 50-55 overs, probably an even game on a last day pitch.

But as Janik says, this only comes into play at all if Australia don't lose both Warner and Smith before end of play tonight, which is a tough ask.

[Satchmo Distel]

That straight on drive by Bancroft was beautiful.

England are leaking runs in these two overs, surely some conservative bowling to increase the pressure would be better than attacking and trying to buy a wicket.

Edit: Woakes replaces Broad after two overs and Curran comes on for Anderson after three.

Possibly a little too defensive with a 160 lead.

[Antepli Ejderha]

That didn't look out so a wasted review by Root. Curran didn't look convinced.

I think they are resting Anderson and Broad for the reverse swing in a few overs time.

[SouthdownRebel]

Cook's 244 the highest ever by a batter carrying his bat through a test innings. England's first since Atherton against New Zealand in 1997 and only the 9th total.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Nice to see England playing dirty by trying to scuff up the ball to get it to reverse swing. Woakes and Curran bowling well too.

[Satchmo Distel]

It's very odd that Australia has stopped producing fast wickets, especially given their traditional strengths. Didn't hurt them in this series but might be a problem when they play India, say.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Moeen Ali on for Curran, Australia are going to have to go after him as the runs have dried up because of Woakes especially.

[Jon]

And woakes strikes. Bancroft out for 27.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Woakes strikes and deservedly so as he's bowled well and restricted Australia. Bancroft departs and Khawaja enters.

[Jon]

Root rewards Woakes' effort by replacing him with Anderson.

[Jon]

Anderson has got out Khawaja. Now it's the key partnership of Smith and Warner.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Root rewards Woakes' effort by replacing him with Anderson.

Root is rewarded. Khawaja goes edging Anderson to Bairstow.

Warner and Smith are together with the deficit 98. This partnership could decide the test, first they've got to survive 15 minutes until lunch.

[San Bernardhinault]

This is it, really, isn't it? If another wicket falls for less than 50 runs, England probably win. If these two settle in for the long haul, all bets are off.

[nmrfox]

Sigh. 4 matches and England decide to bother to turn up and play.

[nmrfox]

TMS, which has been my only contact to this series and has been largely woeful, now plumbs new depths by blethering on about how wonderful the support of the Barmy Army is.

[Satchmo Distel]

Rain makes a draw the firm favourite now although an Australian collapse is still possible given their tail and England's imaginative methods of inducing reverse swing.

Starc must surely come back for Sydney unless he is a serious injury risk.

[SouthdownRebel]

Apparently the Australian press tried to make a bit of a thing about England's "ball tampering". For a nation that loves to call us whingeing poms, they sure do love to whinge.

[E10 Rifle]

And as has been pointed out, scratching the side of the ball you need to shine to make it reverse, won't make it reverse. It's a desperate plunge for a Talking Point on a day with few other points of interest.