Australia’s sluggish over-rate came back to bite them on day one of the pink-ball Ashes Test at the Gabba as the hosts narrowly avoided a significant penalty on Friday morning.
Only 74 overs were bowled on the opening day of the second Test against England in Brisbane as Australia’s all-pace attack toiled with the pink Kookaburra, falling short of the required 90 overs. No spinners were used on Thursday, with Australia controversially sidelining veteran tweaker Nathan Lyon for the day-night contest.
It was the least number of overs bowled in a full day’s play in Test history on Australian soil.
Speaking on SEN commentary, former Australian opener Simon Katich branded the over-rate on day one, which had dropped to minus eight by stumps, as “ridiculous”.
“To think we are going to get through an extra half-hour, so six and a half hours’ cricket, and we are going to get 74 overs in,” he said.
“It’s beyond a joke, an absolute joke.”
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The slow over-rate, a by-product of Lyon’s exclusion, meant the Australians denied themselves access to the second new ball under floodlights because they didn’t come close to producing 80 overs.
Subsequently, quicks Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland were stuck with a softened, sterile Kookaburra as centurion Joe Root and tailender Jofra Archer combined for an unbeaten 61-run partnership for the tenth wicket.
Australian captain Steve Smith was seemingly out of ideas as the English duo struck three sixes during a late cameo, steering England towards a decent position at 9-325 at stumps on day one.
“I’d been saying in the afternoon, they’re not getting through these overs,” former England bowler Isa Guha told Fox Cricket at the Gabba.
“Obviously it’s disappointing. It meant they didn’t have a crack with a hard, new ball towards the end of the day. Is that something they’re going to rue when it comes to end of the Test?
“The fact that they couldn’t get through their overs meant that partnership forms, with Root and Archer being able to hit a ball that was a lot softer.”
Smith was repeatedly tinkering with the field between deliveries during the final hour of play, prompting accusations of time-wasting from former England quick Steven Finn, who believed the Australians were delaying the action to avoid facing the new ball under floodlights.
It looks Australia 32 minutes to bowl the final five overs of the day.
“Smith took a long time to set the field there … he’s now changing the field between balls,” Finn said on TNT Sports.
“Certainly strikes me that this is a good time for Australia to be delaying things. Means that if this last wicket does fall, each minute that goes by, it’s a minute that England won’t have that bright pink ball in their hand in these conditions.”
He continued: “Definitely a tactic here, and the umpires should have a word with him. Every second that ticks by, Australia will have fewer seconds to bat this evening.
“It really is obvious.”
Former Australian batter Mark Waugh continued on Fox Cricket: “I don’t think it was acceptable at the end (of the day).
“We know what (Smith) was trying to do. He didn’t want to face any overs … but the umpires have got to step in then, when you’re deliberately slowing the game down.
“Anyone can see that, if you’re got half a brain, you can see it happening.”
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In 2023, the ICC rules were amended so that no over-rate penalties were awarded for innings with fewer than 80 overs, a change instigated by injured opener Usman Khawaja. The Australians therefore had six overs to take the final English wicket on Friday morning, otherwise they risked copping heavy fines and a deduction in World Test Championship points.
Under the World Test Championship’s current playing conditions, each member of the team will be fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every lost over, with a cap at 100 per cent. Courtesy of a superb outfield catch from Marnus Labuschagne early on day one, the Australians got the job done in 76.2 overs, escaping punishment.
Four years ago, Australia missed qualification for the 2021 World Test Championship final due to an over-rate punishment from the 2020 Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG.
However, Starc brushed aside the over-rate issue when quizzed by reporters on Thursday evening.
“Over-rates are what they are,” he said.
“If we keep taking the wickets, I won’t worry about it.”
The second Ashes Test resumes on Friday at 3pm AEDT.
